tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16012882845832813502024-02-07T17:24:51.505-08:00The Oddball Card CollectorThere is surprisingly little information found on the web today regarding the numerous "oddball" card sets released over the past 40 or so years. Thousands of different sets have been printed during this time, featuring every imaginable sport from bowling to jai alai. We will shine our spotlight on random sets we pull from our shoebox... Who knows which cards will be next? Feel free to email me at policefan71@yahoo.com with any questions or comments!Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-47109690524544713622017-04-16T23:57:00.000-07:002017-04-18T07:16:49.625-07:001983 Galasso 1969 Seattle Pilots Set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRXKQebG4RKdgYXJIJdiKkpAtwD_9qxU6cIjS9CQzMqA2HCIRO0MIrLjWF0V1l6Gi8c-4AXf5Ed-uN9YuHujXhJVJvILMoeHFAS4P0ZIRihKP9yMijAcokWwdenaCqpaxZDtC8MrDYLU/s1600/ezgif-2-d1ed37dd25.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRXKQebG4RKdgYXJIJdiKkpAtwD_9qxU6cIjS9CQzMqA2HCIRO0MIrLjWF0V1l6Gi8c-4AXf5Ed-uN9YuHujXhJVJvILMoeHFAS4P0ZIRihKP9yMijAcokWwdenaCqpaxZDtC8MrDYLU/s320/ezgif-2-d1ed37dd25.gif" width="228" /> </a></div>
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<b>Renata Galasso of Brooklyn, New York owned one of the largest sportscard mail order companies of the 1970s and early 1980s. In addition to selling massive quantities of cards from just about any manufacturer, the Galasso family also produced several oddball baseball sets themselves. The most notable release by the Galassos is probably a black and white set of 270 retired baseball stars, released in six series of 45 cards each from 1977 through 1984. Smaller sets highlighting the '62 Mets, Reggie Jackson, Dwight Gooden and the '61 Yankees were a few other examples released during the early to mid-1980s. </b></div>
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<b>Another small Galasso set, released in 1983, was a 43-card effort detailing the 1969 Seattle Pilots. Most baseball fans know that the Pilots only lasted one MLB season, but interestingly enough, the team existed for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Pilots" target="_blank">two spring trainings</a>. Everyone from Manager Joe Schultz to pitcher Bill Edgerton (who pitched a mere four innings for the club) can be found in the set, pictured in living color and wearing a Pilots uniform. </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXwICD221hZQvAmWBheDkK-z7qQdLZdum4mOguNbcBRNWXRoLFLkr1udAZvKAyvRr7YvTk9QCilPKadAYlg-afWCjyVYxn2aU3jUMZgo9oGgbdMXY0T_ffs-dlzpO70xIoubUWgRBUtw/s1600/69p05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXwICD221hZQvAmWBheDkK-z7qQdLZdum4mOguNbcBRNWXRoLFLkr1udAZvKAyvRr7YvTk9QCilPKadAYlg-afWCjyVYxn2aU3jUMZgo9oGgbdMXY0T_ffs-dlzpO70xIoubUWgRBUtw/s200/69p05.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>
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<b>The cards are the standard size of 2-1/2 by 3-1/2 inches, and are numbered from 1 to 43. Backs feature a short biography paragraph and a stat line for the 1969 season. Similar to other Galasso releases, the cards were sold through the mail in complete set form only. For a few extra dollars, collectors could obtain a set featuring an authentic signature from pitcher Jim Bouton. The set in our collection has the Bouton autograph, as well as the certificate of authenticity that shipped with the set. </b></div>
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<b>As should be expected, the Pilots didn't fare very well as an expansion team. Winning 64 games while dropping 98, the club lacked any semblance of a major star. Third baseman Tommy Harper was probably the best player on the roster, leading the team in games played (148), plate appearances (639), at bats (537), hits (126), walks (95) and stolen bases (73). Though he appeared in just 123 games, outfielder Tommy Davis led the club with 29 doubles and 80 RBIs. Workhorse pitcher Gene Brabender led the Pilots with 13 wins, 202.1 innings pitched, 139 strikeouts and 7 complete games, but also suffered a team-leading 14 losses. </b></div>
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<b>Not everyone cares about collecting sets issued years after the fact (fourteen years, in this case). In all fairness, these cards have a beautiful design, feature rare color photos and just kinda have that "cool factor" about them. An unsigned set today should set you back around ten dollars, while one with a signed Bouton should cost around $20 to $25.</b></div>
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<b>Random Fact: There's a bar just outside the campus of Eastern Illinois University named "Marty's", in honor of Pilots pitcher Marty Pattin.</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vXmI8UlKKD-sGQI6cbOR5LWpAaNh9fOtEMh7fJRNDrHZ8p4PjwJwAl8bQ6jdXi7R73qzRLolTF02q1xb_7DxQ8pmYY0TUTNOae3q9MZkNHzkaVPyXvCQhhC6HS23wGONmc337FTnFDg/s1600/69p10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vXmI8UlKKD-sGQI6cbOR5LWpAaNh9fOtEMh7fJRNDrHZ8p4PjwJwAl8bQ6jdXi7R73qzRLolTF02q1xb_7DxQ8pmYY0TUTNOae3q9MZkNHzkaVPyXvCQhhC6HS23wGONmc337FTnFDg/s320/69p10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>1. Jim Bouton, Pitcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>2. Joe Schultz, Manager</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>3. Bill Edgerton, Pitcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>4. Gary Timberlake, Pitcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>5. Dick Baney, Pitcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>6. Mike Marshall, Pitcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>7. Jim Gosger, Outfield</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>8. Mike Hegan, First Base</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>9. Steve Hovley, Outfield</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>10. Don Mincher, First Base</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i> 11. Miguel Fuentes, Pitcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>12. Charlie Bates, Pitcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>13. John O'Donoghoe, Pitcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>14. Tommy Davis, Outfield</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>15. Jerry McNertney, Catcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>16. Rich Rollins, Third Base</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>17. Fred Talbot, Pitcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>18. John Gelnar, Pitcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>19. Bob Locker, Pitcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>20. Frank Crosetti, Coach</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>21. Sal Maglie, Coach</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>22. Sibby Sisti, Coach</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>23. Ron Plaza, Coach</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>24. Federico Valazquez, Catcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>25. Diego Segui, Pitcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>26. Steve Barber, Pitcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>27. Jack Aker, Pitcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>28. Marty Pattin, Pitcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>29. Ray Oyler, Infield</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>30. Danny Walton, Outfield</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>31. Merritt Ranew, Catcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>32. John Donaldson, Infield</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>33. Greg Goosen, First Base</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>34. Gary Bell, Pitcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>35. Jim Pagliaroni, Catcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>36. Mike Ferraro, Third Base</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>37. Tommy Harper, Outfield</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>38. John Morris, Pitcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>39. Larry Haney, Catcher</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>40. Ron Clark, Infield</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>41. Steve Whitaker, Outfield</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>42. Wayne Comer, Outfield</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i>43. Gene Barbender, Pitcher</i></b></span></div>
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Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-34171311146945669662017-04-13T00:20:00.002-07:002017-04-15T19:35:38.613-07:001986 Leaf Baseball<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7uiRCVBfsQz8khP5a3VS1jpGnwpaYuPMd8MTWiQ0XKxiDcEws3VJBET_4qUw8h6e37L7tTYp5BvDN-2venMjvBNW6xIauPgCEt5wd5fOsht40J8ZH7Hbat-fk9VjJxEclqlDrwd4wewQ/s1600/ezgif.com-optimize.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7uiRCVBfsQz8khP5a3VS1jpGnwpaYuPMd8MTWiQ0XKxiDcEws3VJBET_4qUw8h6e37L7tTYp5BvDN-2venMjvBNW6xIauPgCEt5wd5fOsht40J8ZH7Hbat-fk9VjJxEclqlDrwd4wewQ/s320/ezgif.com-optimize.gif" width="224" /> </a></div>
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<b>Donruss, everyone's favorite card company during the mid-1980s, licensed the release of four baseball card sets to the Canadian market from 1985 through 1988. Cards measure the standard size of 2-1/2 by 3-1/2 inches. </b></div>
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<b>Falling under the "Leaf" brand, the cards from all four sets look just like their Donruss counterparts at first glance. The 1986 Leaf cards, which we are focusing on in this post, feature just one minor difference on the fronts - a small red box near the top that reads "LEAF '86" instead of "Donruss '86". Card backs are also generally similar, with the biggest difference on the Leafs being the inclusion of two languages - English and French Canadian (we're not sure if this strange jibber-jabber is a real language, so we're trusting Google's opinion on this one).</b></div>
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<b>The four Leaf sets are complete at 264 cards each, while the Donruss sets of the day each featured 660. The theory behind the smaller Leaf sets was to include the star and starting players from each team, while trimming the reserve players and unproven rookies. Unfortunately for Leaf, unproven rookies were the hobby darlings of 1986. Speculators bought Donruss cards by the case hoping to find the likes of young prospects such as Jose Canseco, Kal Daniels, Cory Snyder, Paul O'Neill, Harold Reynolds and Lenny Dykstra... None of which were included in the Leaf set. </b></div>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLra0aBQcvR0erjL7qY2ii3e2kBUrOXgF1eZTTvBJ5iRpX4dL2ZeJINKqRpYqpmJK8FT6Pxr7K8pSV0BBjQDIcyLM9U_FEhDcCLZN78a5KrAepUucFXf6BGZWrYXnjBzfys_JmNqNtQv8/s1600/coleman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLra0aBQcvR0erjL7qY2ii3e2kBUrOXgF1eZTTvBJ5iRpX4dL2ZeJINKqRpYqpmJK8FT6Pxr7K8pSV0BBjQDIcyLM9U_FEhDcCLZN78a5KrAepUucFXf6BGZWrYXnjBzfys_JmNqNtQv8/s200/coleman.jpg" width="141" /></a>While the Donruss set featured a twenty-card "Rated Rookies" subset, the Leaf set featured just three. Two of Leaf's three Rated Rookies were from Canadian teams, and both went on to become bona-fide Major League stars... Fred McGriff of the Blue Jays retired as a five-time All-Star with 493 career dingers, while Expo Andres Galarraga also collected five All-Star appearances and a couple Gold Glove awards. The third and final Rated Rookie to be included in the '86 Leaf set, for reasons that cannot be explained, was Phillies <i>relief pitcher</i> Dave Shipanoff. The back of Shipanoff's card found it difficult to be excited, stating he "...figures strongly in Phillies' bullpen plans for '86." Even though we know today that Shipanoff would never pitch in the Majors again, it still boggles the mind that Leaf chose to include a relief pitcher over one of the hot prospects mentioned above. In addition to McGriff and Galarraga, Leaf did manage to snag a few notable rookies in their 1986 issue, to include Ozzie Guillen, Vince Coleman and Mariano Duncan. </b></div>
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<b>Leaf added two unique cards that were not a part of the Donruss set at all. Titled "Canadian Greats", and featuring portraits painted by artist Dick Perez, the two cardboard bonuses featured Expos pitcher Jeff Reardon and Blue Jays outfielder Jesse Barfield. Perez is also the artist who painted the 26 "Diamond Kings" portraits, a Pete Rose "King of Kings" card and Hank Aaron Hall of Fame card, all of which are included in both the '86 Donruss and Leaf sets.</b></div>
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<b>I love all four Leaf sets released during the 1980s, and would recommend them to anyone looking to add star-filled, inexpensive sets to their collection. Though the Leaf cards were printed in smaller quantities than their Donruss equivalents, there's no monetary premium attached these days. Expect to pay ten to fifteen dollars for a set in nice condition.</b></div>
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<b>Random Fact: Twins first baseman Kent Hrbek participates in a yearly Northern Minnesota snowmobiling excursion called the "Black Woods Blizzard Tour."</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESwtyGw5jfWMPN28wueZ6SvdEJzmja-2OsFCmMJpIYLsKWFSOfPolvtwREFLdo66FMbl3WF3p5ywtsUK5QL75RhwyXt42gHV8tZ4hJoU-vyrqa2dhNPXJe_DDxjjnOIuR8AQTwqoKVlI/s1600/leaf1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESwtyGw5jfWMPN28wueZ6SvdEJzmja-2OsFCmMJpIYLsKWFSOfPolvtwREFLdo66FMbl3WF3p5ywtsUK5QL75RhwyXt42gHV8tZ4hJoU-vyrqa2dhNPXJe_DDxjjnOIuR8AQTwqoKVlI/s320/leaf1.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-86264032481302658632017-02-11T10:51:00.000-08:002017-04-13T00:22:39.328-07:001989 Smokey Bear Team Smokey GT Racing Set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGnqXtXpBSvzBgbxL7xH_Fjf69hX7eo8vrPi859F-C-lGLBajSJ3BTMvAoH4p_30cGfMG-nhDE1GcuNUo_ZDLt-sNY6rKnwdEngaNTwcCdWTBm-LRXhdYQmGoWTxDKPfbiVOe2P3XMv4/s1600/ezgif.com-2ca9071912.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGnqXtXpBSvzBgbxL7xH_Fjf69hX7eo8vrPi859F-C-lGLBajSJ3BTMvAoH4p_30cGfMG-nhDE1GcuNUo_ZDLt-sNY6rKnwdEngaNTwcCdWTBm-LRXhdYQmGoWTxDKPfbiVOe2P3XMv4/s320/ezgif.com-2ca9071912.gif" width="230" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=Smokey+Set&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=64482&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg" target="_blank">Click here to find Smokey Card Sets on eBay</a><img src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=Smokey+Set&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D" style="border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: none;" />
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<b>Why do we collectors search endlessly and tirelessly for elusive cards... Cards that are like finding a needle in a haystack? </b></div>
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<b>Because a needle sometimes pricks the finger that's clicking our mouse. And boy, it hurts so good. </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Yfwtqcd8BGarql2aGHrz0pBi0R6iITIdLOMEE1MPrei4BuS8f8pPXx8ekbZW_WMugRf1wA-EqJCCx4XbkKRd-1jVOwHYUqmJHd0cr0O2YRHBZL-BcEKX_zG5sBLucw9xYOiQFrVZAmQ/s1600/89newman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Yfwtqcd8BGarql2aGHrz0pBi0R6iITIdLOMEE1MPrei4BuS8f8pPXx8ekbZW_WMugRf1wA-EqJCCx4XbkKRd-1jVOwHYUqmJHd0cr0O2YRHBZL-BcEKX_zG5sBLucw9xYOiQFrVZAmQ/s200/89newman.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>
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<b>I have never claimed to be an oddball card expert. Like any other collector, the knowledge I've gained over the past 35-plus years has been self taught, and there are huge holes in my knowledge when it comes to certain oddball card releases. One such "hole" pertains to this gem of a racing set that was released back in 1989. </b></div>
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<b>Sponsored by the Forest Service-USDA, National Association of State Foresters and the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), this 28-card set features race car drivers, wives and lots of Smokey Bear. I'm not exactly sure how these cards were released, but I do know that there ain't many of these floating around. In my attempt to research the set, I've come up empty on all of my internet queries; I can't find a single photo or any mention whatsoever of this set anywhere. </b></div>
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<b>The cards are typical of a Smokey set released in the late 1980s. Measuring the standard card size of 3-1/2 by 2-1/2 inches, color photos adorn the front with a small Smokey head and IMSA logo found at the bottom corners. The subjects pictured on the cards are named along the front bottom, in a tiny font size that will have you looking for your reading glasses. Card backs are also typical Smokey, with a large fire safety cartoon occupying the majority of the space. Backs also list the team names, car models and hometowns of the card subjects. The cards are not numbered. </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8wmjYC43U4qxwrOEVTMmwX9vpmI2BMFL_2g3L6u_nhG7OMeuFS79TFkXtxlL9lHvhYGogaL-jlWcZJKRHyfMY-aLv5JDUmuJfQLqefqlm5kqdiBZ9R29J-zpMdr4VZ3r2buOLshFO10/s1600/89newman2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8wmjYC43U4qxwrOEVTMmwX9vpmI2BMFL_2g3L6u_nhG7OMeuFS79TFkXtxlL9lHvhYGogaL-jlWcZJKRHyfMY-aLv5JDUmuJfQLqefqlm5kqdiBZ9R29J-zpMdr4VZ3r2buOLshFO10/s200/89newman2.jpg" width="143" /></a></div>
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<b>The set is loaded with names a racing fan will recognize, and at least three names for movie fans - Lorenzo Lamas, Bobby (Robert) Carradine and Paul Newman. I've posted large front and back scans of the Newman card, as they may be of interest. An <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3377996/" target="_blank">excellent documentary</a> detailing Paul's racing career was released in 2015 by Adam Carolla.</b></div>
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<b>Smokey cards have always been among my favorites, and this little gem of a set is a welcome addition to my archives. I have no idea how many of these sets were printed a good 28 years ago... But what I do know is these phantom cards need to get grabbed fast if you're lucky enough to find them. </b></div>
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<b>Random Fact: Australian driver Geoff Brabham's father, two brothers, son and nephew have all been professional racers.</b></div>
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<a href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=Smokey+Set&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=64482&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg" target="_blank">Click here to find Smokey Card Sets on eBay</a><img src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=Smokey+Set&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D" style="border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: none;" />
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<i><b>Checklist (in no particular order)</b></i></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(1) Paul Newman</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(2) Lorenzo Lamas</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(3) Bobby Carradine </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(4) Jim Downing</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(5) Dave White and Art Pilla</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(6) John Morton and Geoff Brabham</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(7) Steve Durst</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(8) Buz McCall</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(9) A.J. Foyt</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(10) Martin Brundle and John Nielson</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(11) Dorsey Schroeder and Bruce MacInnes</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(12) Waino Kangas and Cliff Kangas</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(13) David Loring</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(14) Jan Lammers and Davy Jones</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(15)Hans Stuck and Klaus Ludwig</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(16) Scott Schubot and Linda Ludemann</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(17) Steve Fitzpatrick and Bernie Pisczek</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(18) Bob Wollek</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(19) Chip Robinson</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(20) Justus Reid and Bill Jacobson</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(21) Neil Hannemann</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(22) Roger Mandeville, Kelly Marsh, Don Marsh</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(23) Chris Cord</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(24) Amos Johnson and Dennis Shaw</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(25) Linda and Randy Pobst</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(26) Alistair Oag and David Rosenblum</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><b>(27) Juan Fangio, Dennis Aase and Willy T. Ribbs</b></i></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;"><i>(28) Smokey Bear </i></span></b></div>
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<br />Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-81890320114391227452016-10-05T21:56:00.000-07:002016-10-10T21:58:23.855-07:002016 Topps Now Baseball - Regular Season in the Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfB5nXfazpgZxza13ri3vcxeHCLe14KkIj8w_iPy4FTNkPFxFeUHFzt1UrVo_WRTOCRMLarNSdjCV3QmK_IbPtYljraImSDQPnsHAEn3-AvgV1tiQo6CUGqAPqbndUPAqzclayfNeL9os/s1600/renfroe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfB5nXfazpgZxza13ri3vcxeHCLe14KkIj8w_iPy4FTNkPFxFeUHFzt1UrVo_WRTOCRMLarNSdjCV3QmK_IbPtYljraImSDQPnsHAEn3-AvgV1tiQo6CUGqAPqbndUPAqzclayfNeL9os/s320/renfroe.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Ryan Cracknell over at Beckett.com has compiled an excellent, all-inclusive checklist of the 2016 Topps Now Baseball set. His data includes the player name(s), team, event summary, date of event and total print run for each card. An eBay auction link is even provided for most of the cards, taking you right to any examples that are are currently available for sale on the platform.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.beckett.com/news/2016-topps-now-baseball/" target="_blank">Ryan's excellent NOW article and checklist can be found here</a>.</b></span><br />
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<a target="_blank" href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=Topps+Now&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=213&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg">Find Topps NOW cards on eBay</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=Topps+Now&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D">
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Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-6573985701485389292016-06-18T14:48:00.000-07:002016-10-10T22:00:20.652-07:002016 Topps NOW Baseball - The First 158<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4s_nWbj35NFSrveSSUBB10Y0kgtXLFLiPO_SGRpqNpX06DQEqsYD4qrqDSFaNlGnE8QOCujApy5qbgyDnXqh8sgqECHLWXr0IRsTI4sFwFsDw3qngsijXnuoTu5j95zrwo7dJZXSQQY/s1600/cubs16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4s_nWbj35NFSrveSSUBB10Y0kgtXLFLiPO_SGRpqNpX06DQEqsYD4qrqDSFaNlGnE8QOCujApy5qbgyDnXqh8sgqECHLWXr0IRsTI4sFwFsDw3qngsijXnuoTu5j95zrwo7dJZXSQQY/s320/cubs16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Topps has kept the NOW cards a comin' since <a href="https://oddballcardcollector.blogspot.com/2016/05/2016-topps-now-baseball-first-100-plus.html" target="_blank">our last update</a> on May 29, releasing another 52 cards in the past 20 days. In <a href="https://oddballcardcollector.blogspot.com/2016/05/2016-topps-now-baseball-first-50.html" target="_blank">our second update</a> on May 4, we did a little math and estimated that the NOW set might feature around 300 cards by season's end... At the current rate of issue, we'll have to bump that estimate up to 350 or so by season's end. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Back on May 29 we highlighted the fifteen cards with the highest print runs, as well as the fifteen with the lowest. Beginning with an updated list of the fifteen highest print runs, we see a few new cards on the list that are highlighted in red:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#57 Bartolo Colon 8,826</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#68 Max Scherzer 3,746</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#69 Noah Syndergaard 3,670</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#102 Julio Urias RC 2,992</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">#154 Ichiro Suzuki 2,798</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">#123 Corey Seager RC 1,900 </span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#30 Jake Arrietta 1,808</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#29 Kris Bryant 1,644</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#12 Nomar Mazara RC 1,427</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#59 Bryce Harper 1,366</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#11 Tyler White RC 1,350</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#9 Trevor Story RC 1,298</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#20 Bryce Harper 1,286</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#129 Cubs (Dual-Sided) 1,278</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">#122 Trea Turner RC 1,276</span></b></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheG4BLklcmKd4wxx6DnizQ3Y-RqwH_yevi3hk2jJ_3r0IVWuX0wMhtmbhywGR9ZyShC9ojHI-H5XO1DWrjx383muOvawAFigc3_uk4JD_4DyRe3gTEUb2EmCVF0oqUXTCR6DIaOeR-TFE/s1600/encarnacion16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheG4BLklcmKd4wxx6DnizQ3Y-RqwH_yevi3hk2jJ_3r0IVWuX0wMhtmbhywGR9ZyShC9ojHI-H5XO1DWrjx383muOvawAFigc3_uk4JD_4DyRe3gTEUb2EmCVF0oqUXTCR6DIaOeR-TFE/s320/encarnacion16.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>King Bartolo is in no danger of losing his crown when it comes to the highest print run. Ichiro's status as the all-time hit leader among Japanese and American pro baseball gave him a respectable run of 2,798 cards, but still not in the same time zone as Colon. Two new rookies, Corey Seager and Trea Turner, entered the list while three dropped off of it (Mazara, Story and Maeda). The fourth card to crack the above list is the first dual-front NOW card to be printed, which features four star players from the Chicago Cubs (in recognition of their fast pace to win 40 games this season).</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>While just two new cards have snuck on to the fifteen lowest print runs list since the last update, one of them has managed to take the top position. Twelve-year veteran and Blue Jays all-star Edwin Encarnacion's card released on June 11 has a print run of just 207, edging out former chart-topper Evan Gattis' run of 212. Angels pitcher Matt Shoemaker grabs the fourth spot on the list with a print run of 216 cards. All of these are definitely worth keeping an eye on:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#141 Edwin Encarnacion 207</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#79 Evan Gattis 212</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#67 Chris Iannetta 215</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#144 Matt Shoemaker 216</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#52 Piscotty/Holliday 217</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#24 Melvin Upton Jr. 226</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#78 Kendrys Morales 227</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#51 Corey Kluber 229</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#53 Colorado Rockies 231</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#8 Albert Pujols 244</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#22 Chris Sale 244</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#26 John Lackey 244</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#58 Aaron Hill 246</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#49 Justin Smoak 252</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#66 Marwin Ganzalez 253</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Mariner Dae-ho Lee maintains the lowest print <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">r</span>un for a rookie with 363, but another rookie with a slightly higher run, Trayce Thompson, is one to watch. With a run of 431, the 25 year-old Dodgers' slugger has the potential to be a longball hitter for years to come (he also has a second card in the set with a run of 566). As we mentioned on the last update, Rangers rookie star Nomar Mazara is featured on three cards thus far in the NOW set, with his second card (#47) having a print run of just 468. Definitely keep an eye on the Mazara and Thompson issues.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>These are attractive cards, and Topps has managed to build a nice fanbase o<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">f</span> NOW collectors. If I had to choose one thing I didn't like about the set thus far, it would be the overuse of Gatorade/water celebration shots; I'd hate to see 20 or more of them by season's end!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>As always, collect whatever makes you happy. Most collectors can't afford to purchase these cards on a daily basis, but you can guarantee that more bundle-style and pick-'em deals will be listed on eBay in the weeks to come. </b></span><br />
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<a target="_blank" href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=Topps+Now&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=213&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg">Find Topps NOW cards on eBay</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=Topps+Now&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D">
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<br />Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-8821832387461517262016-06-13T17:09:00.000-07:002016-06-14T03:35:17.313-07:001997 Chicago White Sox SGA Set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9o0TH_JBO1-e-hqjcRWb4y12x6isVxKx8eL76SyP8bnP6dlpqMPNaCC4sCWyh7xVjJB5ihe07PKgllvsuMfajCci26tSz1tc8vZC74WFOCkAkVtXKjSkH7R85ukj79LHz35aGAE4mkzw/s1600/97wssga.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9o0TH_JBO1-e-hqjcRWb4y12x6isVxKx8eL76SyP8bnP6dlpqMPNaCC4sCWyh7xVjJB5ihe07PKgllvsuMfajCci26tSz1tc8vZC74WFOCkAkVtXKjSkH7R85ukj79LHz35aGAE4mkzw/s320/97wssga.gif" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Stadium giveaway sets were quietly alive and well in 1997, as is evidenced by this 30-card White Sox issue. Subjects feature active players, coaches, trainers and Sox legend Nellie Fox, who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame that year. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Cards measure the standard 3-1/2 by 2-1/2 inches and are printed on medium-weight white cardboard stock. All cards except for Fox feature color photos on the fronts, and other than white outside borders, have just the player names printed in silver ink across the left side. Backs are printed in black and show MLB statistics, along with a "SOX" logo at the lower left and a Nellie Fox tribute logo at the lower right. Uniform numbers are also listed on the backs, and the cards are not otherwise numbered.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The '97 White Sox fielded a respectable team under skipper Terry Bevington, managing to basically break even with 80 wins versus 81 losses. Pitching seemed to be a problem, with Chicago's top three workhorse pitchers (Navarro, Baldwin and Drabek) each having an ERA above 5.00. Baldwin and Drabek tied for the team lead in wins, with just 12 each. Reliever Roberto Hernandez notched a respectable 27 saves and five wins, with an ERA of 2.44.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Hall of Fame first baseman Frank Thomas is the star of the set, and smacked 35 homers and 125 RBIs that season. Newly-acquired slugger Albert Belle hit 30 home runs with 116 RBIs (and 105 strikeouts), and fan-favorite Harold Baines hit a respectable .305 in 93 games before shipping off to Baltimore. Other notable names include shortstop and future manager Ozzie Guillen, third baseman Robin Ventura and veteran catcher Tony Pena, who was finishing an 18-year career in the Majors. The closest thing to a "prospect" card in the set features 33 year-old pitcher Carlos Castillo, who went on to log just 210.2 innings in four MLB seasons.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhde3PYZmZNTivUtA1YWQFKEZlW2nsfuGV1rmYJqy_IHRWUlZDZXfMGujrbDNHhnCsWjrhEg1ywFpFfCGAVLmJdH39EXAT7gDZTX7Jy2owmhLNmjTIbg9n7tM73qzJaJf86uHoJPAiwrk/s1600/wscoaches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhde3PYZmZNTivUtA1YWQFKEZlW2nsfuGV1rmYJqy_IHRWUlZDZXfMGujrbDNHhnCsWjrhEg1ywFpFfCGAVLmJdH39EXAT7gDZTX7Jy2owmhLNmjTIbg9n7tM73qzJaJf86uHoJPAiwrk/s320/wscoaches.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>This type of SGA set often includes subjects not found in regularly issued card sets. In this case, manager Terry Bevington gets his own card and both trainers share one. All seven coaches also share a card, and their names are only revealed through the answering of several trivia questions found on the back.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Once again, we can chalk up this set within the category of obscure SGAs, with no presence whatsoever on the collecting radar. I'm not sure how many sets were printed, but they don't show up on eBay in large numbers. I'd estimate the value of a set to be in the $5 to $8 range due to the lack of demand and no prospects who went on to have notable careers. Anyone looking to add a set to their collection should be able to find one at a decent price with a little patience.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(2) Nellie Fox</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(3) Harold Baines</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(5) Ray Durham</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(7) Norberto Martin</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(8) Albert Belle</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(10) Darren Lewis</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(12) Jorge Fabregas</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(13) Ozzie Guillen</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(14) Dave Martinez</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(15) Doug Drabek</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(18) Terry Bevington</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(20) Ron Karkovice</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(23) Robin Ventura</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(24) Mike Cameron</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(26) Chuck McElroy </b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(27) Chris Snopek</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(28) Lyle Mouton</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(29) Tony Pena</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(35) Frank Thomas</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(37) James Baldwin</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(38) Jaime Navarro</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(39) Roberto Hernandez</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(40) Wilson Alvarez</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(41) Bill Simas</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(43) Carlos Castillo</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(44) Danny Darwin</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(47) Matt Karchner</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(49) Tony Castillo</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(NNO) Trainers (Herm Schneider, Mark Anderson)</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;"><i>(NNO) Coaches (Mark Salas, Bill Buckner, Art Kusnyer, Ron Jackson, Doug Rader, Joe Nossek, Mike Pazik)</i></span></b></span></div>
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Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-91804792858479797632016-06-02T10:21:00.000-07:002016-10-13T11:00:46.692-07:001999 Connecticut Huskies Men's Soccer Set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUj-cB6bp36lSCZM777Aadoz9mBi0ywgOF16lJyzDFFtDTiCovbHgSIu_4lZUfgOPS-8OLXIhEORpuEms9QR51e5gee6FwMEFjPA99ov1HiNHQbDO5JA7UVQIiPykep_V7MttOdsPJL0/s1600/1999UConn.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUj-cB6bp36lSCZM777Aadoz9mBi0ywgOF16lJyzDFFtDTiCovbHgSIu_4lZUfgOPS-8OLXIhEORpuEms9QR51e5gee6FwMEFjPA99ov1HiNHQbDO5JA7UVQIiPykep_V7MttOdsPJL0/s320/1999UConn.gif" width="227" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The 1999 Connecticut Huskies Men's Soccer set is a perfect example of why soccer cards will never be fully documented. Who the heck even knew these existed?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Consisting of fifteen player cards, these measure the standard 2-1/2 by 3-1/2 inches and are printed on white card stock with semi-gloss fronts. Large, color photos grace the fronts and are borderless except for the top, where a light grey box contains the "UConn" designation, player's uniform number, and "1999 Connecticut Men's Soccer." The player's names are found along the front bottoms, along with a small Huskies logo and First Union bank sponsor logo. Card backs feature college stats and summaries of high school and college performances. Cards are not numbered except for the player uniform numbers on the front.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBteA9gb7PYmQJTPguM-1WTIjzZJWjHcQoGoDIPZYxJX30Gajqc4D9hiyDuYy3gc-2alQMJ7vGvsc8NRRCUaQxOD82H74zthGHHwVLAsYiDPBcUvcfYjIs9mz3Tu2_yBhsdFXxT0mdOzs/s1600/99forko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBteA9gb7PYmQJTPguM-1WTIjzZJWjHcQoGoDIPZYxJX30Gajqc4D9hiyDuYy3gc-2alQMJ7vGvsc8NRRCUaQxOD82H74zthGHHwVLAsYiDPBcUvcfYjIs9mz3Tu2_yBhsdFXxT0mdOzs/s320/99forko.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Much of the fun of collecting the kinds of sets involves learning about the players, and quick internet searches reveal all kinds of information. Matt Chavlovich, the starting goalkeeper for UConn in 1999, went on to play one year in the USL with the Connecticut Wolves and is currently the Vice President of Licensing for MLS. Chris Gbandi played professionally for FC Dallas, Haugesund and Miami FC from 2002-2010, and is currently head coach of the Northeastern Huskies men's team. Back Max Zieky played one year for the Connecticut Wolves and has been been with Dell Computer since 2002, where he is currently in charge of Business Intelligence and Sales Analytics. Back Sam Forko, originally from Liberia, was on the roster for nine games with the MetroStars in 2002. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>A collector could probably spend the remainder of their life stumbling upon this kind of obscure issue. I love soccer oddball sets, though I couldn't care less about the sport itself (soccer oddballs are just... cool). It's difficult to place a value on a set that doesn't sell very often, but I'd certainly jump on this if I could get it for ten dollars or less. To the right fan or collector, the set might sell for considerably more.</b></span></div>
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<a target="_blank" href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=Huskies+Soccer&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=212&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg">Click here to find Huskies Soccer Cards on eBay</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=Huskies+Soccer&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b> <span style="color: red;"><i>(1) Matt Chavlovich, Goalkeeper</i></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(2) Sam Forko, Back</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(4) Chris Gbandi, Back</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(7) Meurys Cajas, Midfielder</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(8) Darin Lewis, Midfielder/Forward</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(9) Ryan Brown, Back</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(10) Luis Arauz, Forward</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(11) Brent Rahim, Midfielder</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(12) Roberto Vargas, Back</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b> (14) Alex Cortes, Midfielder</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(17) Edwin Rivera, Midfielder/Forward</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(18) Bryheem Hancock, Goalkeeper</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(20) Ryan Tishon, Back</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(22) Mansour Ndiaye, Midfielder</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(23) Max Zieky, Back </b></span></i></span></div>
<br />Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-8371948081266354602016-05-31T11:52:00.001-07:002016-10-10T21:55:57.291-07:001981 Atlanta Braves Police Set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqJYh8K-roKUXcGETsj2lGLAIkjd1KkuE_PKyUPD68QolcQeFxTcoPbt2wOfwU8SHs9f01PyoskIpywiAylUm9CmuCROl4tPI8MmLJUTFnT0Ylo5JIiHGJtPGdHa8xWZFJ-nBHhWW5FM/s1600/81bravespd.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqJYh8K-roKUXcGETsj2lGLAIkjd1KkuE_PKyUPD68QolcQeFxTcoPbt2wOfwU8SHs9f01PyoskIpywiAylUm9CmuCROl4tPI8MmLJUTFnT0Ylo5JIiHGJtPGdHa8xWZFJ-nBHhWW5FM/s320/81bravespd.gif" width="198" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The Atlanta Braves, in conjunction with Hostess, Coca-Cola and the Police Athletic League, released the first of six yearly safety sets in 1981. A complete set features 27 cards; twenty-five active players, manager Bobby Cox and Braves legend Hank Aaron.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>These cards are typical of the police sets released during the first half of the 1980s. Measuring a bit larger than the standard card size, these measure approx. 2-5/8 inches wide by 4-1/8 tall. Cards were printed on soft white card stock with a nice coating of semi-gloss across the fronts. Every card but Hank Aaron and Terry Harper features a studio portrait with a neutral background (Aaron and Harper are pictured at the ballpark). Though the year of issue is mentioned nowhere on the cards, they are easily identifiable as '81s because of the green ribbon graphic found at the top right of each card front. A Police Athletic League logo is found at the top left; this logo appears on all six Braves police sets. Card backs feature Coca-Cola and Hostess logos, as well as a short player biography and a "Tip from The Braves." Cards are not numbered except for uniform numbers.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32Ei-rXAJUxCGUR9UGRKCyIxHK68BduAhgPJvb-mT0mbkY2wW6-ci62cEhM3aQE5dEDMFVrJThjdOs3uhkn8flbPJ7cbRzPHsPTywMsNokYFQdFeh5uoihRNdsiCO26O60l9EltXRYIE/s1600/81aaron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32Ei-rXAJUxCGUR9UGRKCyIxHK68BduAhgPJvb-mT0mbkY2wW6-ci62cEhM3aQE5dEDMFVrJThjdOs3uhkn8flbPJ7cbRzPHsPTywMsNokYFQdFeh5uoihRNdsiCO26O60l9EltXRYIE/s320/81aaron.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Braves fans were treated to good baseball in the 1980s, and this set offered a preview of what would be many of the key players. Infielder Jerry Royster, 1978 Rookie of the Year Bob Horner, Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, All-Star outfielder Claudell Washington and two-time NL MVP Dale Murphy are just some of the players who contributed to the success of the club during the first half of the decade. Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry is also found in the set, his lone year with the Braves. Four-time Manager of the Year and Hall of Fame skipper Bobby Cox is also pictured, one year before heading to the Toronto Blue Jays. Cox would return to the Braves in 1990, and the rest is baseball history with his fourteen first place finishes in fifteen years.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>It was reported that 33,000 sets were printed. Allegedly, the Terry Harper card is a bit harder to find than the other cards; while it isn't scarce by any means, it is technically a short print. The Hank Aaron card, on the other hand, was triple-printed (I saw an uncut sheet several years ago to verify this) and is by far the easiest card in the set to find. This means that approximately 99,000 Aaron cards rolled off the presses back in 1981, and examples are easily found t<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">hese days</span>.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>A NRMT complete set is valued in the $10 to $15 range today, including the "slightly" short-printed Harper. This set, along with the other five '80s Brave police issues, are loaded with quality cards and should be a part of every baseball oddball portfolio.</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=Braves+Police+Set&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=213&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg" target="_blank">Find Braves Police Sets on eBay</a><img src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=Braves+Police+Set&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D" style="border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: none;" /><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b> (1) Jerry Royster</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(3) Dale Murphy</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(4) Biff Pocoroba</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(5) Bob Horner</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(6) Bobby Cox, MGR</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(9) Luis Gomez</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(10) Chris Chambliss</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(15) Bill Nahorodny</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(16) Rafael Ramirez</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(17) Glenn Hubbard</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(18) Claudell Washington</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(19) Terry Harper (SP)</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(20) Bruce Benedict</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(24) John Montefusco</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(25) Rufino Linares</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(26) Gene Garber</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(30) Brian Asselstine</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(34) Larry Bradford</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(35) Phil Niekro</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(37) Rick Camp</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(39) Al Hrabosky</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(40) Tommy Boggs</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(42) Rick Mahler</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(45) Ed Miller</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(46) Gaylord Perry</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(49) Preston Hanna</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(NNO) Hank Aaron </b></span></i></span></div>
<br />Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-58016614744737725162016-05-29T21:06:00.001-07:002016-10-10T22:05:14.069-07:002016 Topps NOW Baseball: The First 100 Plus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdedTof4H9WzxGaVk5A5GGoxF6GTpcuAuuZ1SE7hfEeby8FvF58vD_qe7aQfTLJDCAzxFB24JWbedWf5-HTOCDCSr3DK62mGMCIlcA2fQgJbz7H52BIygIo2a8hLFBJp0j6g80qRI_C4Q/s1600/ortiznow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdedTof4H9WzxGaVk5A5GGoxF6GTpcuAuuZ1SE7hfEeby8FvF58vD_qe7aQfTLJDCAzxFB24JWbedWf5-HTOCDCSr3DK62mGMCIlcA2fQgJbz7H52BIygIo2a8hLFBJp0j6g80qRI_C4Q/s320/ortiznow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>As the 2016 Topps NOW Baseball set continues to rapidly expand, collectors are closely monitoring the newly released cards on a daily basis. New records for both the highest and lowest print runs have been set since we reviewed the <a href="https://oddballcardcollector.blogspot.com/2016/05/2016-topps-now-baseball-first-50.html" target="_blank">first fifty cards</a> not quite a month ago. Numbers geeks such as myself are having a ball in the process.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>If you happen to be unfamiliar with the the Topps NOW concept, we talked about it <a href="http://oddballcardcollector.blogspot.com/2016/04/2016-topps-now-baseball-cards.html" target="_blank">in this blog post</a>. Basically, collectors have a 24 hour window to order a Topps NOW card, by logging on the the <a href="https://www.topps.com/collectibles/trading-cards/topps-now.html/" target="_blank">Topps website</a>. Topps announces the print <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">r</span>un of each card shortly after the ordering window has closed. It has been fascinating, to say the least, to follow the print runs and values of these cards thus far this season.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMpx3dq04pl0ur1NpSATQr6NbWp8XXxa4704Mks8I94KdgGJrYhVmh-Cic38GRJvLdKigNfK9AsI4Q7rmd8OyP4PDwAnCTSGTRbOpB7r9eYk_Xzw5b31h1dxBQTMX38kj1CQy-f6wWQw/s1600/gattisnow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMpx3dq04pl0ur1NpSATQr6NbWp8XXxa4704Mks8I94KdgGJrYhVmh-Cic38GRJvLdKigNfK9AsI4Q7rmd8OyP4PDwAnCTSGTRbOpB7r9eYk_Xzw5b31h1dxBQTMX38kj1CQy-f6wWQw/s320/gattisnow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Let's look first at the lowest print runs up to this point. Astros designated hitter Evan Gattis holds the distinction of having the fewest cards printed to date, with a mere 212 copies <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">distribu</span>ted to commemorate his game-winning home run on May 17. Right on his tail is Mariners catcher Chris Iannetta, who had 215 cards printed to also honor a game-winning homer; this time on May 11. While both players certainly deserve a card in the set, neither is known as a player with great offensive numbers and both play for teams with smaller fan bases. The card that features the third lowest print run is somewhat of a surprise to me; budding star Stephen Piscotty and seasoned vet Matt Holliday of the Cardinals share a NOW card with a print run of just 217 examples. From there the trend set by Gattis and Iannetta continues, with Padres outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. having a print run of 226 for a card that commemorates his game-winning home run on April 16.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Here's a look at the sixteen cards with the lowest print run thus far (Liriano and Davis are tied for fifteenth place):</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#79 Evan Gattis 212</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#67 Chris Iannetta 215</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#52 Piscotty/Holliday 217</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#24 Melvin Upton Jr. 226</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#78 Kendrys Morales 227</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#51 Corey Kluber 229</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#53 Colorado Rockies 231</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#8 Albert Pujols 244</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#22 Chris Sale 244</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#26 John Lackey 244</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#58 Aaron Hill 246</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#49 Justin Smoak 252</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#66 Marwin Gonzalez 253</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#55 Giancarlo Stanton 259</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#1 Francisco Liriano 266</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">#13 Chris Davis 266</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;"> </span> </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyoPqXKuEqATBmd1_7fHzb0GzONEZqOduIU8Oani6hsM6Qnae608XIjmKma2uO_Wjx5nSyqkqxdry_czrcAowbyekGvFEZW8Uz4ES3iW5isiQTHVcoTb7zaIfiqKSADSVwxoAHbnU13Bk/s1600/colonnow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyoPqXKuEqATBmd1_7fHzb0GzONEZqOduIU8Oani6hsM6Qnae608XIjmKma2uO_Wjx5nSyqkqxdry_czrcAowbyekGvFEZW8Uz4ES3iW5isiQTHVcoTb7zaIfiqKSADSVwxoAHbnU13Bk/s320/colonnow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The largest print runs make for an interesting study. For starters, the first five cards with the highest runs all feature pitchers... And the current king of the Topps NOW castle isn't even close. Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon set an MLB record on May 7, when he clubbed his first home run at the age of 42. In response, the NOW card created for Colon's feat was purchased in incredible quantities; a whopping 8,826 copies were sent out to collectors. Nats ace Max Scherzer comes in a distant second with a run of 3,746 cards to note his 20 K performance on May 11. Colon's Mets teammate Noah Syndergaard currently holds third place with a run of 3,670 cards to commemorate his spectacular showings on both the mound and the plate on May 11, coincidentally on the same day as Scherzer's aforementioned performance. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The fifteen highest print runs thus far are as follows:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#57 Bartolo Colon 8,826</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#68 Max Scherzer 3,746</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#69 Noah Syndergaard 3,670</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#102 Julio Urias RC 2,992</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#30 Jake Arrietta 1,808</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#29 Kris Bryant 1,644</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#12 Nomar Mazara RC 1,427</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#59 Bryce Harper 1,366</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#11 Tyler White RC 1,350</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#9 Trevor Story RC 1,298</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#20 Bryce Harper 1,286</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#88 David Wright 1,014</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#98 Nomar Mazara RC 996</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#4 Trevor Story RC 981</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>#7 Kenta Maeda RC 952</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Seven of the fifteen cards with the highest print runs feature the "rookie card" designation. The rookie with the <i>fewest</i> cards printed thus far is Mariners slugger Dae-ho Lee, who smacked a game winning home run on April 13. At 33 years of age, Lee already has fifteen seasons of foreign professional baseball experience under his belt and is obviously predicted to have a short MLB career. Nomar Mazara's second card in the set (#47) has a print run of just 468, and has the potential to be a "sleeper." Having just turned 21, one might expect to see highlights of Mazara for the next fifteen or so years. On the high side of the print run, nineteen year-old Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias, who made his MLB debut on May 27, is featured on card #102 with a run of 2,992 copies.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Regarding values, the Bartolo Colon home run card (#57) sold for upwards of $50 in the days immediately following it's release on May 8. It has since cooled down to the $20-$25 range, and I expect it to drop to ten bucks by season's end. Trevor Story has four cards in the set thus far, with his first one (#4) being the hottest. Also briefly selling in the $50 range at one time, this card can currently be purchased on eBay for $15 or less. The first two NOW cards released, Francisco Liriano (#1) and the Kansas City Royals (#2), each sell for $35 or higher when they appear on eBay. Only a few examples of each have found their way to the secondary market as of now, which helps to account for their seemingly high values.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>It'll be time to review the first 150 NOW cards soon enough. I doubt that King Bartolo and poor E-Gatt will be knocked from their titles as highest and lowest print runs<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, but you never know.</span> I hope everyone enjoys what they collect, and the best of luck to you with your search!</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=Topps+Now&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=213&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg" target="_blank">Find Topps NOW cards on eBay</a><img src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=Topps+Now&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D" style="border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: none;" />
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Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-10854799539492372072016-05-20T14:34:00.000-07:002016-06-02T10:25:04.570-07:00Selling 1950s-1980s Card Reprints... A Big Deal?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR92o3iNSS1jVu6775BtlrYDeWdNc6isGOt4zMnU8ySx26VITP-CMUUNJBsBtpRnpLADW9ATfI7N1C3yBmxmi0CnSLaojul8puztiTj1tR9TiMgezTmDaPttEhUjp4PeKnehtGwuWOdFI/s1600/rp28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="521" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR92o3iNSS1jVu6775BtlrYDeWdNc6isGOt4zMnU8ySx26VITP-CMUUNJBsBtpRnpLADW9ATfI7N1C3yBmxmi0CnSLaojul8puztiTj1tR9TiMgezTmDaPttEhUjp4PeKnehtGwuWOdFI/s640/rp28.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>There's a seller on eBay right now who is selling reprints of baseball, football, hockey and basketball star cards from the 1950s through 1980s. In his store, you can find everything reprinted from a 1951 Bowman Willie Mays to a 1990 Topps Traded Emmitt Smith. The cards are the same sizes as their original issue.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>To be fair (if that's the right term), I don't know if the backs are fully printed. I'm assuming that the word "reprint" does not appear anywhere on the cards, but even if it does, The Topps Company, Inc. firmly maintains the copyright to all Topps and Bowman card issues. </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAytQV6bO6PHeQtdvDGCC4R3TGLltlFwqY9sfhTr-nX_V7N2MFdYUMp9xQX7-8wal8KuHibaPGzABSzgRshtVkzU5erTMQGZERlgwVTQb_IDNj9L8v3B0dgXBGmTD-EZeI8-uqxWMiPQ/s1600/rp24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAytQV6bO6PHeQtdvDGCC4R3TGLltlFwqY9sfhTr-nX_V7N2MFdYUMp9xQX7-8wal8KuHibaPGzABSzgRshtVkzU5erTMQGZERlgwVTQb_IDNj9L8v3B0dgXBGmTD-EZeI8-uqxWMiPQ/s320/rp24.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The photos used for this blog post were taken directly from this seller's eBay auctions. The reprinted cards include a 1985 Topps Walter Payton record breaker (the real thing retails for $2), a 1972/73 Topps Julius Erving rookie, a 1968 Topps Roger Maris and a 1986/87 OPC Patrick Roy rookie... Bundles are also being offered, such as the fifteen-card lot of 1965 Topps baseball pictured at the left. All cards feature star or superstar players, but some of the card choices are more surprising than others.</b></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>One reprint card, a 1957 Topps Bart Starr rookie, is being sold with artificial wear. This card is being sold for $9.95 as opposed to the usual $2.45. Is this considered a suspicious act, or is this just a way to make the reprint more visually appealing but not in a deceptive way? I personally don't have an opinion on the added wear, as in my mind the bigger issue is still the fact that these reprinted Topps and Bowman cards are illegal regardless.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>I mainly collect oddball cards, and don't have any special interest in vintage regular-issue sets. I do love the hobby, however, and began collecting in 1979 with a small handful of Topps football cards. If these reprints do indeed feature full fronts and backs, without any type of "reprint" designation, I certainly don't want to see any collectors (especially beginners) getting tricked into purchasing reprint cards at authentic prices. Even is this current eBay seller is up front about these cards being reprints, there's no guarantee that future sellers will be.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcr5Q2RcVZ_GUSE6Kmm8_gV1laIra_XXYgUAxmRDwrbseibkSa0sgRgyc-wvvYltG3993Pb4sl2wGqQ3pXRkB8L_0zfsS0uIWwRHwn-PIJv9PNQnJIsvG2h5svF-0PCxJmqCtPYRzS1UI/s1600/starr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcr5Q2RcVZ_GUSE6Kmm8_gV1laIra_XXYgUAxmRDwrbseibkSa0sgRgyc-wvvYltG3993Pb4sl2wGqQ3pXRkB8L_0zfsS0uIWwRHwn-PIJv9PNQnJIsvG2h5svF-0PCxJmqCtPYRzS1UI/s400/starr.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-4038219094233777462016-05-18T11:58:00.000-07:002016-10-13T11:09:02.466-07:002007 Upper Deck Oakland Athletics SGA Set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6HT9mKbcod2z8K-qkloRG8x_bTr7FLddAgXTgu0EYy9CUgcdrPPiJNjmTb2k5TanQWQ5OALMfOmEw7Hhh-dbkaAHWsBO7uqmYgg4vVlNMmbHLO73l4md8exNJumkM7C0BG-SasCXwSo/s1600/07udas.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6HT9mKbcod2z8K-qkloRG8x_bTr7FLddAgXTgu0EYy9CUgcdrPPiJNjmTb2k5TanQWQ5OALMfOmEw7Hhh-dbkaAHWsBO7uqmYgg4vVlNMmbHLO73l4md8exNJumkM7C0BG-SasCXwSo/s320/07udas.gif" width="227" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Many collectors are unaware of Upper Deck's quiet venture into the stadium giveaway card business in the 2000s. We have already profiled two of these, the <a href="http://oddballcardcollector.blogspot.com/2015/06/2001-washington-redskins-upper-deck.html" target="_blank">2001 Washington Redskins set</a> and the <a href="http://oddballcardcollector.blogspot.com/2016/03/2004-upper-deck-san-diego-padres-sga-set.html" target="_blank">2004 San Diego Padres set</a>. Because of the local nature of these issues, and the fact they were not packaged for retail sale, stadium giveaway sets have always - and will continue to - fly under the collector radar.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The Oakland Athletics commissioned such a set during the 2007 MLB season (I have not been able to determine the date of the giveaway). Consisting of 25 cards, the set came in a clear plastic wrap. The design of the cards is very similar to Upper Deck's regular 2007 Baseball issue, with one difference being a small "The Mercury News" logo found at the bottom of each card front. Cards are numbered on the backs, but match the player's uniform number. Finally, these giveaway cards are foil-free, whereas the regular cards feature silver foil stamping on card fronts for both the player names and the Upper Deck logo.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfX4VokfXaO2qXCeSse8rouqgyUFmFTOBrDUwqQeaC2ci8A4t78zsxO0L2iWc9jXkrnS72sf1LKMDXp3XOBzyrZVHphsw9vrW2-xQU7pTnyoafvakSoLHlko3ehz30zxDvzKq0uyA6KE/s1600/07marshall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfX4VokfXaO2qXCeSse8rouqgyUFmFTOBrDUwqQeaC2ci8A4t78zsxO0L2iWc9jXkrnS72sf1LKMDXp3XOBzyrZVHphsw9vrW2-xQU7pTnyoafvakSoLHlko3ehz30zxDvzKq0uyA6KE/s320/07marshall.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Oddball geeks love this type of hybrid set. At first glance, the cards can be easily mistaken for the regular '07s... But additional research reveals a major difference, much more significant than different card numbers, a lack of foil or a Mercury News logo; we're talking about five cards that were not found in the regular set at all. Manager Bob Geren, pitcher Lenny DiNardo, pitcher Santiago Casilla, designated hitter Jack Cust and catcher Kurt Suzuki are unique to the stadium giveaway.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Pitcher Jay Marshall did not have a regular Upper Deck card that year card per se, but was included in the "Rookie Exchange" set that was obtained with a redemption card; these 20 cards were inexplicably numbered as part of the regular set. Regardless, the photo used on Marshall's SGA card is different than the one found in the Rookie Exchange set.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>I am indeed one of those oddball geeks who like finding cards that feature new photos and additional players. I also like cards that feature players who spent just a short amount of time with a club; in this case, Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza is captured at the end of his career and during his single season with Oakland. Outfielder Shannon Stewart is also featured during his lone year with the club, before<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> moving on to Canada to </span>finish out his MLB career in 2008 with the Blue Jays.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Though the set is everything the oddball collector looks for, it's not an expensive one. The current value is in the $5 to $8 range, possibly because most collectors don't know they want one. </b></span></div>
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<a target="_blank" href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=SGA+Set&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=212&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg">Click here to find Stadium Giveaway Sets on eBay</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=SGA+Set&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJLsSNsL-XXP2DdaA9sx8o15NhDdKI67Y2CQqmo9cTqkGlzwJ55RRUHFkWXM4KR1maSsp86Rk5YJNsD-01uioNlkQJY5EOhHLiZTo7uvxrlUWhqZ-ktK-TUlzzSReTREARQpefxU9rqw/s1600/07kotsay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJLsSNsL-XXP2DdaA9sx8o15NhDdKI67Y2CQqmo9cTqkGlzwJ55RRUHFkWXM4KR1maSsp86Rk5YJNsD-01uioNlkQJY5EOhHLiZTo7uvxrlUWhqZ-ktK-TUlzzSReTREARQpefxU9rqw/s320/07kotsay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>3. Eric Chavez</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>6. Travis Buck</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>7. Bobby Crosby</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>14. Mark Ellis</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>15. Dan Haren</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>19. Marco Scutaro</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>20. Huston Street</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>21. Mark Kotsay</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>24. Shannon Stewart</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>25. Estaban Loaiza</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>28. Kurt Suzuki</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>29. Dan Johnson</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>31. Mike Piazza</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>32. Jack Cust</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>33. Nick Swisher</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>37. Joe Kennedy</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>40. Rich Harden</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>41. Alan Embree</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>44. Santiago Casilla</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>52. Jay Marshall</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>53. Bob Geren</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>55. Joe Blanton</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>56. Lenny DiNardo</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>57. Chad Gaudin</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;"><i>58. Justin Duchscherer </i></span></b></span></div>
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Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-19032306114501664552016-05-11T18:58:00.000-07:002016-10-10T22:44:11.697-07:001995 Team Issue Asheville Tourists Update Set<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nGQpR3TJx1XKLyUOjiQVN_k4TUyKpoZhipUv-r4D5S-or343FV5XZrAkb53m9EjrItUH5-i6hdZQdjlFmxagnQ86rVvv80kXdmIuatuwTCdmzvQGJo0fAI9p3gIrSn8oU0XDognmSNQ/s1600/95touristsupdate.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nGQpR3TJx1XKLyUOjiQVN_k4TUyKpoZhipUv-r4D5S-or343FV5XZrAkb53m9EjrItUH5-i6hdZQdjlFmxagnQ86rVvv80kXdmIuatuwTCdmzvQGJo0fAI9p3gIrSn8oU0XDognmSNQ/s320/95touristsupdate.gif" width="227" /></a></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The Asheville Tourists minor league baseball club became the "A" league affiliate of the Colorado Rockies back in 1994, and has maintained the position ever since. The Tourists released a set of 30 cards early on in the 1995 season, featuring players and staff members that were current at the time. An update to that set would be released a few months later, adding another fifteen cards to the mix. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>With an announced print run of just 1,000 sets, this update issue is fairly tough to find. Sets were factory-wrapped in clear, graphics-free cello. Young prospect Todd Helton was the card found on the front of the pack, with slugger Derrick Gibson appearing on the back. As it would turn out, Helton and Gibson would be the only two players from the update set to make it to the majors.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJEtOhiwrzom15_WXQn-vYcyOmTvEafi1xbDthxBAS3rzoxeLShQcMecybwo-slDxW4NsuuJNCfpEraHojytLKqenvoWvRs3geZzSV0UJMaLlIrI9pB-bl-V4Q_WfAMUbPFo3Z4yl8DQg/s1600/95asheville.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJEtOhiwrzom15_WXQn-vYcyOmTvEafi1xbDthxBAS3rzoxeLShQcMecybwo-slDxW4NsuuJNCfpEraHojytLKqenvoWvRs3geZzSV0UJMaLlIrI9pB-bl-V4Q_WfAMUbPFo3Z4yl8DQg/s320/95asheville.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The cards from the update issue are virtually indistinguishable from those found within the regular 30-card set. The cards are numbered on the backs based on the player's uniform number, meaning several cards share a number between both sets. Printed on white, medium-weight cardstock, fronts feature a large color photo and and orange border. Nowhere is the printer of the cards mentioned.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Todd Helton is the primary reason for the value of the set today, which is in the $15 to $20 range; the 1,000 set run doesn't hurt the value either. One reason the set isn't worth more, however, is because of two earlier Team USA cards of Helton found in the 1993 Topps Traded set and 1993 Bazooka Team USA set.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Random Fact: Outfielder Derrick Gibson appears in both the '95 Asheville regular and update sets. He led all of Minor League Baseball in 1994 with 115 RBI, and tied the league lead with 32 home runs. His time in the majors would be short, however, appearing in just seven games for the Rockies in 1998, and ten games in 1999. Gibson's final season in baseball was in 2006, with New Haven County of the independent Canadian-American Association.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b> <i><span style="color: red;">(NNO) Team Photo</span></i></b></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(7) Mike Vavrek, LHP</b></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(8) Brian Rose, RHP</b></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(9) Todd Helton, INF</b></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(13) Chris Henderson, RHP</b></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(16) Bill Eden, LHP</b></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(18) Fred Ocasio, INF</b></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(20) Mike Zolecki, RHP</b></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(21) Pat McClinton, LHP</b></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(26) Tal Light, INF</b></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(27) John Meskauskas, C</b></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(28) John Slamka, LHP</b></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(30) Mark Wells, OF</b></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(31) Keith Barnes, LHP</b></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(34) Derrick Gibson, OF</b></span></span></i></div>
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Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-62968108571946868282016-05-08T12:57:00.001-07:002016-10-10T22:49:17.888-07:001986 Sports Design Products All-Time Great Tigers Set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NNg0AIh3HEFy767zA_imQQ4MBWgEKUj7fVDs_kdAgse4ncjoVVHDGVqco5K5c4OrO9h57HArkEYAjxrmoB7ZjmmYtqyjxJA71b9kpJNso_JLiSjYFybHDYvqCDods3LhkNm0GG5tb04/s1600/86tigers.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NNg0AIh3HEFy767zA_imQQ4MBWgEKUj7fVDs_kdAgse4ncjoVVHDGVqco5K5c4OrO9h57HArkEYAjxrmoB7ZjmmYtqyjxJA71b9kpJNso_JLiSjYFybHDYvqCDods3LhkNm0GG5tb04/s1600/86tigers.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Sports Design Products was a small company that produced a handful of oddball baseball card sets in the mid-1980s, including two sets of legendary Major League players that were illustrated by artist Doug West (click here to see the <a href="http://oddballcardcollector.blogspot.com/2015/09/1984-sports-design-products-doug-west.html" target="_blank">1984</a> and <a href="http://oddballcardcollector.blogspot.com/2015/09/1985-sports-design-products-doug-west.html" target="_blank">1985</a> sets). A third SDP set illustrated by West is the All-Time Great Tigers, which was released in 1986.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Featuring 22 cards, the set was issued in a dark plastic box with the set name and SDP company logo embossed across the front. The card design is simple and uncluttered, with fronts featuring the player name across the bottom and a large painting of said player occupying the remainder. Backs show career stats for each player and give a few highlights during their time as a Tiger. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The players in the set appear in order somewhat chronologically, with Ty Cobb kicking off the set (he joined the club in 1905) and John Hiller ending it (he last pitched for the Tigers in 1980). Many of the players are in the Hall of Fame, including Cobb, Harry Heilman, Charlie Gehringer and Hank Greenberg. The rest are certainly fan favorites; Harvey Kuenn, Norm Cash and Willie Horton are three names that continue to be collected by faithful Detroit-loving hobbyists. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Doug West, who was 25 years old at the time of the set's release, was beginning to garner national acclaim for his talents as a sports artist. He continues to be very active in the sports art world today, and places an emphasis on players from the different Detroit sports franchises. Anyone interested in browsing West's current and past projects, or who may have an interest in commissioning a personal painting, can find the information on his <a href="http://www.dougwestgalleries.com/" target="_blank">personal website</a>.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>I'm a sucker for small boxed sets from the 1980s, and this set is no exception. With that being said, I will repeat a sentiment I felt while reviewing the two baseball sets mentioned in the first paragraph... I don't believe that the design found on the card fronts do the paintings justice. Card blogger <a href="http://clydes-stalecards.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jason Presley</a> and I joked that the design of those sets resembled one you might see if it were issued by the military during the cold war era (either the United States or the Soviets, you pick). Surprisingly, this Tigers set may qualify even <i>more so</i>; all this set lacks is a hotline number on the card backs which should be called if a neighbor or co-worker is suspected of being a spy.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>This set has always flown under the collecting radar, and I can find very few card magazine ads that were selling this set in the late 1980s. I'm sure the production number was released but I'll probably have to thumb through some old publications to find it. SDP typically released sets with a run of 5,000 or less, and I'm guessing that this is no exception. I'd place the current value of a NRMT boxed set at ten dollars.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Random Fact: Hall of Fame catcher Mickey Cochrane played for the Tigers just four seasons (1934-1937), and was also the team manager during much of that time. </b></span></div>
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<a target="_blank" href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=Doug+West+Set&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=213&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg">Click here to hunt for Doug West sets on eBay</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=Doug+West+Set&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D">
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>1. Ty Cobb, OF/MGR</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>2. Hughie Jennings, MGR/SS</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>3. Harry Heilman, OF</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>4. Charlie Gehringer, 2B</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>5. Mickey Cochrane, C/MGR</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>6. Hank Greenberg, 1B</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>7. Billy Rogell, SS</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>8. Schoolboy Rowe, P</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>9. Hal Newhouser, P</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>10. George Kell, 3B</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>11. Harvey Kuenn, SS</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>12. Al Kaline, OF</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>13. Jim Bunning, P</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>14. Norm Cash, 1B</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>15. Mickey Stanley, OF</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>16. Jim Northrup, OF</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>17. Bill Freehan, C</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>18. Gates Brown, OF/PH</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>19. Willie Horton, OF</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>20. Mickey Lolich, P</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>21. Denny McLain, P</b></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>22. John Hiller, P</b></span></i></span></div>
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Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-70340843395609713542016-05-04T15:03:00.000-07:002016-10-10T22:27:07.172-07:002016 Topps NOW Baseball: The First 50<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0vdjr4Cah-Ux3Gz8phOrc5XpsDQJK4OkEpoIeUoLt4d5CpENSyRnKsZH52govm2ylaKjxpNjZViXEl7TB7uTDSjAB7QQjrx9chIB-oHBhKjd1IrmtmmqthiZg1aVZoBOh_UuWoxUc2c/s1600/16trumbo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0vdjr4Cah-Ux3Gz8phOrc5XpsDQJK4OkEpoIeUoLt4d5CpENSyRnKsZH52govm2ylaKjxpNjZViXEl7TB7uTDSjAB7QQjrx9chIB-oHBhKjd1IrmtmmqthiZg1aVZoBOh_UuWoxUc2c/s320/16trumbo.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://oddballcardcollector.blogspot.com/2016/04/2016-topps-now-baseball-cards.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> for a brief description of the <a href="http://oddballcardcollector.blogspot.com/2016/04/2016-topps-now-baseball-cards.html" target="_blank">2016 Topps NOW Baseball</a> cards.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>It took exactly one month for Topps to issue the first 50 cards of their inaugural "NOW" baseball set. As the owner of several of the<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">se cards</span>, I consider myself a fan of both the look and t<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">he</span> idea <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">behind them</span>.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Now that we've had a full month to watch the set unfold, we kinda have a feel for how this whole thing works... We know that a promising rookie will have a higher print run than a veteran who has a random great game. From an investment standpoint, however, the rookie cards still hold the most promise. It will be up to set collectors to drive the demand for cards featuring veteran players like Mark Trumbo and Melvin Upton Jr, even though these print runs are quite low. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Speaking of set collectors, will there be many of them? By doing a bit of simple math, we can estimate that the 2016 NOW set may feature around 300 cards by season's end. That<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> wouldn't be considered</span> many cards <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">if a</span> set <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">were</span> assembled from packs; but <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">because these NOW cards are</span> offered one at a time from Topps' website, <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">it</span> becomes a much more difficult and expensive proposition. Some eBay sellers have already begun to offer "bundles" of cards, as well as the chance to pick the cards you need from their list. Even so, if the average cost of each card is $7, the total cost of a 300 card set will be... Yikes.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Of the first 50 cards, eleven of them feature a rookie (Trevor Story is found on four of them). As I mentioned in my original post about these cards, I purchased my first NOW cards from Topps on April 10 when they offered rookie Nomar Mazara of the Rangers. I paid my $80 for 20 of them, and three weeks later Mazara has claimed A.L. rookie of the month. While I'm not much of a speculator, I couldn't resist trying to kill two birds with one stone; Mazara provided the opportunity to both enter the NOW market at a good time and possibly provide trade bait/money for other oddball cards. As a bonus, it's a heck of a lot of fun to follow a prospect when you have a small stack of their cards lying on your desk.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The other card I've purchased directly from Topps is that of Cardinals pitcher Jaime Garcia, released on April 15. I figured the print run would be low and grabbed ten of them; Topps printed 300, which was the exact number that I predicted to be on the high end (in hindsight, I probably shouldn't have released a blog post telling everyone to buy the guy). I've purchased two additional players from the secondary market off of eBay; Chris Sale of the White Sox (244 cards printed) and Melvin Upton Jr. (226 cards printed, the lowest total so far). </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>In my opinion, the biggest surprise regarding any of the print runs so far features Cubs ace Jake Arrieta, who had a whopping 1,808 cards printed on April 22 -- the record thus far for most cards printed, and 164 more than teammate Kris Bryant, who was offered on the same day. Though Arrieta has had an incredible season thus far, I'm not really sure why there was such a huge run on the card. One week later, on April 29, Arrieta's second NOW card had a print run of just 365 cards... Go figure.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>I always believe a person should collect what they like. I like these cards, but it seems unrealistic to acquire a complete set at this point. I know many cards will drop in price on eBay when speculators start to sell their excess stock (and they only paid $4 a card when they purchased a 20 lot from Topps). A handful of cards will increase in value over time, with the successful rookies being the most likely to do so. Hopefully Trevor Story and Nomar Mazara won't have ten different cards each by the end of the season, as this would likely dilute the values of all of them.</b></span></div>
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<a target="_blank" href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=Topps+Now&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=213&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg">Find Topps NOW cards on eBay</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=Topps+Now&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4raz-m2FMp8bbmfz8IIpEScDIkze1SV50y5btkQMs1fDH_TpEWPxb-wVQYL97ZMNaXCFi8uBsDge5bPB-Fag3Q3NQUTGB-W2BydTGoEtj4b4p0Jl5TI0AiqlE1fXfn14NMXvsDDyroFQ/s1600/16kershaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4raz-m2FMp8bbmfz8IIpEScDIkze1SV50y5btkQMs1fDH_TpEWPxb-wVQYL97ZMNaXCFi8uBsDge5bPB-Fag3Q3NQUTGB-W2BydTGoEtj4b4p0Jl5TI0AiqlE1fXfn14NMXvsDDyroFQ/s320/16kershaw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>1. Francisco Liriano, Pirates (266)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>2. Kansas City Royals (356)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>3. Bryce Harper, Nationals (782)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>4. Trevor Story, Rockies (981)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>5. David Ortiz, Red Sox (471)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>6. Trevor Story, Rockies (759)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>7. Kenta Maeda, Dodgers (952)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>8. Albert Pujols, Cardinals (244)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>9. Trevor Story, Rockies (1,298)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>10. Brandon Crawford, Giants (316)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>11. Tyler White, Astros (1,350)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>12. Nomar Mazara, Rangers (1,427)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>13. Chris Davis, Orioles (266)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>14. Addison Russell, Cubs (331)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>15. Trevor Brown, Giants (590)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>16. Dae-Ho Lee, Mariners (363)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>17. Nolan Arenado, Rockies (268)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>18. Vincent Velasquez, Phillies (557)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>19. Jaime Garcia, Cardinals (300)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>20. Bryce Harper, Nationals (1,286)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>21. Jackie Robinson, Dodgers (759)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>22. Chris Sale, White Sox (244)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>23. Mark Trumbo, Orioles (285)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>24. Melvin Upton Jr., Padres (226)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>25. M. Tanaka, Yankees and H. Iwakuma, Mariners (424)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>26. John Lackey, Cubs (244)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>27. Cincinnati Reds (278)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>28. Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg, Nationals (489)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>29. Kris Bryant, Cubs (1,644)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>30. Jake Arrieta, Cubs (1,808)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>31. Curtis Granderson, Mets (294)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>32. Jacoby Ellsbury, Yankees (326)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>33. Chicago White Sox (321)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>34. Brett Gardner, Yankees (278)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>35. Kenta Maeda, Dodgers (784)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>36. Bryce Harper and Chris Heisey, Nationals (400)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>37. Neil Walker, Mets (289)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>38. A. Pujols, Cardinals and R. Jackson, A's (527)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>39. Andrew McCutchen, Pirates (524)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>40. Jake Arrieta, Cubs (365)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>41. Yoenis Cespedes, Mets (325)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>42. Trevor Story, Rockies (800)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>43. Ryan Howard, Phillies (280)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>44. David Ortiz, Red Sox (346)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>45. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers (453)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>46. Bartolo Colon, Mets (298)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>47. Nomar Mazara, Rangers (468)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>48. M. Machado, Orioles and B. Harper, Nationals (540)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>49. Justin Smoak, Blue Jays (252)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>50. Lorenzo Cain, Royals (280)</b></span></i></span></div>
Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-32329790147438068672016-04-30T19:08:00.002-07:002016-10-10T22:34:29.272-07:001985 St. Louis Cardinals Postcard Set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAmaXfQdXdXgJ66g65g9Z6p4L6Oc7UlDb1D7mFCQ_9Umwn8u0AxcI5ZztL-r0LSWghrXDdeCAYwgl6whrnDmE0zX9uc890TuS2JVheTmwCYz-Ifcoxokqr8msTg9qbaxK2sC8BXkMbXE/s1600/85cards.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAmaXfQdXdXgJ66g65g9Z6p4L6Oc7UlDb1D7mFCQ_9Umwn8u0AxcI5ZztL-r0LSWghrXDdeCAYwgl6whrnDmE0zX9uc890TuS2JVheTmwCYz-Ifcoxokqr8msTg9qbaxK2sC8BXkMbXE/s320/85cards.gif" width="190" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Team-issued baseball postcards that were given away and sold during the 1960s-1980s era are all but impossible to checklist accurately. There are a few reasons for this. For starters, many teams would add or subtract players from the sets as needed during the season. This was usually done informally, with few efforts made to alert collectors of any changes. Often the basic design of these sets would not change for several years, meaning a team could carry over their remaining postcard inventory to their next set the following season. Yet another twist is when a team would run out of a player's card in the middle of the season, and order up new cards that were different than the previous ones.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>A collector who ordered their set in May might receive a set that was significantly different than one ordered in September.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Consider the above writing a disclaimer; I have no way of knowing if I am indeed presenting the complete 1985 St. Louis Cardinals team-issued postcard set. But here goes nothing.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNBwJu18u9Vh5UfsiAHmT9P5XTeyCBzjV-W2EUhI2gx424jszKQ6kHnqPwoSkSHvry2mP0I4mHzwtJtCshT0ntpoOJsoJPLhIWvbwiwDhVNN20zgqwUxW4hPu0waJh93Gr4MbqsU5hDw/s1600/coleman85.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNBwJu18u9Vh5UfsiAHmT9P5XTeyCBzjV-W2EUhI2gx424jszKQ6kHnqPwoSkSHvry2mP0I4mHzwtJtCshT0ntpoOJsoJPLhIWvbwiwDhVNN20zgqwUxW4hPu0waJh93Gr4MbqsU5hDw/s320/coleman85.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>My</i> set consists of 32 black and white postcards, featuring a manager, six coaches and 25 players. Each measures approx. 5-1/2 by 3-1/4 inches and the backs are blank. A facsimile autograph is featured at the front bottom, just below the large, posed portrait of the subject. Regarding the design of this set, this is a perfect example of a team that used the same look for several years (and has undoubtedly caused much collector confusion for over 30 years). </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The '85 Cards were a heck of a baseball team, as evidenced by their appearance in the famous "I-70 Series" versus the Royals that October. Their postcard set does not disappoint, including all the starters and stars such as Ozzie Smith, Vince Coleman, Tom Herr, Andy Van Slyke, John Tudor and NL MVP Willie McGee.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Speaking of the base-swiping Coleman, he is pictured here during his rookie season and would not appear on a major card release until the late-year update sets were printed. Infielder Terry Pendleton is pictured the same year as his Topps, Donruss and Fleer rookie cards. On the flip side, light-hitting veteran infielder Ivan DeJesus is pictured during his lone year with the Cardinals, where he managed to spray a mere 16 hits in 78 plate appearances. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>My postcard set features pitcher Neil Allen, who was sold to the Yankees on July 16, but does not have outfielder Lonnie Smith, who was shipped to the Royals on May 17 (I'm not sure whether Lonnie was in the set or not prior to that date, but he was the starting left fielder). </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>One can see how frustrating it may be to research postcard sets. I'm aware of a few collectors back in the 1970s and '80s who attempted to chronicle them, but I've never been privy to their work... It would be nice to see the fruits of their labor published online.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>I'd estimate the value of the 32-card set to be in the $20 to $30 range. </b></span></div>
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<a target="_blank" href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=Cardinals+Postcard&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=213&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg">Click here to find Cardinals postcards on eBay</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=Cardinals+Postcard&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(1) Ozzie Smith, IF </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(2) Red Schoendienst, CO</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(3) Dave Ricketts, CO </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(4) Mike Roarke, CO</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(8) Hal Lanier, CO</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(8) Johnny Lewis, CO</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(9) Terry Pendleton, IF</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(11) Ivan DeJesus, IF </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(12) Tom Lawless, IF</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(13) Neil Allen, P </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(15) Darrell Porter, C</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(16) Nick Leyva, CO </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(18) Andy Van Slyke, OF</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(19) Mike Jorgensen, IF </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(21) Tito Landrum, OF</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(22) Jack Clark, OF</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(23) Tom Nieto, C </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(24) Whitey Herzog, MGR</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(25) Brian Harper, OF</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(26) Steve Braun, OF</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(28) Tom Herr, IF</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(29) Vince Coleman, OF</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(30) John Tudor, P </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(31) Bob Forsch, P </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(32) Jeff Lahti, P</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(34) Danny Cox, P</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(39) Bill Campbell, P</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(46) Ken Dayley, P</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(47) Joaquin Andujar, P </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(49) Ricky Horton, P</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(50) Kurt Kepshire, P </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>(51) Willie McGee, OF</i></b></span></span></div>
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Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-51314657714510032132016-04-21T14:08:00.000-07:002016-10-10T22:39:26.749-07:001989 Upper Deck Baseball Randy Johnson Proof Card<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Collectors who are interested in oddball cards may also have a natural interest in collecting proof cards. To be clear: over the years, several insert and parallel sets have used the "proof" name in their title, but this is nothing more than a title... True proof cards are printed for the purpose of in-house analysis; colors are checked, designs and photos are approved, and paper stock is tested.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Proof cards, and other production items like original artwork and player contracts, first became widely available to the market in 1989 when Topps teamed with the Guernsey auction house. In an unprecedented move, Topps opened their virtually secret archives and released several hundred items to a hungry hoard of sports and non-sports card collectors (the proceeds were donated to various charities). </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZFHVgt41s00AUNfryB9PLSNWf9grTRL3WVRYwJlkafK5QfW_VMXHyApmT5O0CvmNLuW3bNIUaxSVtGpU88d6bYKRulOPeM4oonDBxRdhMIqUw9d_HelJmdiOgpxKRKn0QqmCZEAsifI/s1600/89rj1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZFHVgt41s00AUNfryB9PLSNWf9grTRL3WVRYwJlkafK5QfW_VMXHyApmT5O0CvmNLuW3bNIUaxSVtGpU88d6bYKRulOPeM4oonDBxRdhMIqUw9d_HelJmdiOgpxKRKn0QqmCZEAsifI/s400/89rj1.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>In the modern internet age, proofs from all the major cardmakers of the 1980s and 90s have found their way into the market, with some examples being scarcer than others. One random example comes from Upper Deck, who released their inaugural baseball set to much fanfare back in 1989. This particular proof card features rookie fireballer Randy Johnson on the front, and fellow Hall of Famer Paul Molitor on the back. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>I no longer collect proofs per se, and actually sold most of my proof collection a few years back when I decided to focus on collecting oddball cards... But every now and then a proof will catch my eye, and if the price is right, I might just add it to my cardboard compendium. This Johnson/Molitor proof is one such instance, which I snagged off of eBay for a very reasonable sum.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>I have closely examined both the front and reverse, and both sides appear to be similar to their issued versions. One difference I did notice, though, is how dark the Molitor graphics appear on the back. While a shadow already darkens most of Molitor's face and chest in his photo, the deep and heavy application of color on the proof renders his face almost featureless. The proof is also missing the hologram that should be found on the back of an issued card. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The Johnson/Molitor pairing is a fortunate combination for the card owner, but isn't totally random. Randy Johnson's card is number 25 in the 1989 UD set, while Paul Molitor takes card number 525. Upper Deck's uncut sheets featured cards printed in numerical order, with each sheet containing 100 cards. Therefore, if Johnson did not have his own reverse, he'd likely share it with Bob Horner (#125), Bert Blyleven (#225), Don August (#325), Kevin Bass (#425) or Paul Molitor (#525).</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Proof cards are a great way to supplement a player or team collection, and anyone looking to add a truly rare item to their archives needs to be diligent with their eBay search... It will surely pay off over time.</b></span></div>
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<a target="_blank" href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=1989+upper+deck+proof&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=213&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg">Click here to hunt for 1989 Upper Deck proofs on eBay</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=1989+upper+deck+proof&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D">
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpeO2N3y9KrmARdUar_Nkzk204WkqNxBUkkdvIQYUm6wda4-01TldO6QsFiOcj9q6eHNIVQwkKNgVeDSB_GOuQxJIisJHQ5xgdR0maWT7fCwIBnHYVMooMarfCwtbCbSFcZfXU73PoHA/s1600/89rj2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpeO2N3y9KrmARdUar_Nkzk204WkqNxBUkkdvIQYUm6wda4-01TldO6QsFiOcj9q6eHNIVQwkKNgVeDSB_GOuQxJIisJHQ5xgdR0maWT7fCwIBnHYVMooMarfCwtbCbSFcZfXU73PoHA/s400/89rj2.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></div>
<br />Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-71871735752134665112016-04-18T18:14:00.000-07:002016-10-13T11:14:36.840-07:002005 X Concepts Professional Bull Riders Set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBKztQEVL3JR0uWhGh9fUwxEPGMKe3a6P1rHlBHaxhJTGpvq9gkJ4FFy94WpEPrOD8BwHPrMiiAIlHMS_XDsLobjc0c9hnLsHqDn4CTtCwUoa6fVSYUrVxgwJFStqP_f5_yhcVeksDvs/s1600/05pbr.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBKztQEVL3JR0uWhGh9fUwxEPGMKe3a6P1rHlBHaxhJTGpvq9gkJ4FFy94WpEPrOD8BwHPrMiiAIlHMS_XDsLobjc0c9hnLsHqDn4CTtCwUoa6fVSYUrVxgwJFStqP_f5_yhcVeksDvs/s320/05pbr.gif" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The Professional Bull Riders circuit has had it's share of fans over the years, and is the type of sporting event that just about anyone would enjoy watching in person. The popularity of the sport, however, has never translated into the lucrative memorabilia market. The major leagues for baseball, football, basketball and even mixed martial arts all supplement their bottom lines nicely with the income made from toys, posters, cards, photographs, and just about any other item that a sports logo can be slapped on to. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The PBR does make the occasional deal with toy companies, as was the case in 2004 when they partnered with California toy maker X Concepts to produce a line of miniature bull and rider figurines (X Concepts is best known for their "TECH DECK " line of miniature skateboards). Each retail set featured one bull, rider and a trading card that had a design very similar to a set of PBR cards they would release the following year.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRm3iD5x2CJAdAtr750fUItJQHszTF7q9pU7FGISpBk2nWZ1MhXAwE9De6_iyFKhglTdMRkrlllAv7P66I0WPt-HRSjss-6uM2mjNENtfDcLQXQ9pi1AOd95TBUNXAb3DAsfUiMS3TXUo/s1600/05pbrbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRm3iD5x2CJAdAtr750fUItJQHszTF7q9pU7FGISpBk2nWZ1MhXAwE9De6_iyFKhglTdMRkrlllAv7P66I0WPt-HRSjss-6uM2mjNENtfDcLQXQ9pi1AOd95TBUNXAb3DAsfUiMS3TXUo/s320/05pbrbox.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The PBR set that X Concepts released in 2005 was issued in sealed boxes that contained 24 packs. Each pack featured seven cards (six base cards and an insert). The base set is complete at 100 cards, with 50 of them featuring riders (with at least one bullfighter and barrel man thrown in for good measure) and 50 featuring bulls. Half of the cards portray action shots, while the other half portray closeup portrait-style shots.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>In addition to the 100 base cards, there's a 23-card insert set of PBR event winners that is found one per pack. The insert set has a nice uncluttered design, with the PBR logo embossed on the front of each. A glossy coating covers the PBR logo and subject's name across the right side, as well as the bull and rider in the photo. The background of the photo is rendered in muted grey tones, with a matte finish that gives the card an impressive contrast when viewed near a light.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLZQjD4aLCq-QvVIwFtPRUwdX70boCUecJ040dml5ZhYu85NlMiNcBtwr0Q-3OZwYvwPS-hi7TmzVcnuL__e6yAoZ5dsiJ0KMk6OQ6Ne-v3R_gYJyVC8X7pw8gwhwKxZ_0dvQ6IhNz7s/s1600/05pbrinserts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLZQjD4aLCq-QvVIwFtPRUwdX70boCUecJ040dml5ZhYu85NlMiNcBtwr0Q-3OZwYvwPS-hi7TmzVcnuL__e6yAoZ5dsiJ0KMk6OQ6Ne-v3R_gYJyVC8X7pw8gwhwKxZ_0dvQ6IhNz7s/s400/05pbrinserts.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The second insert set is much harder to find. The box states that it's a set of six "cards featuring PBR highlights." Oddly enough, the card I found in my box featured rider Adriano Moraes, with nary a highlight mentioned whatsoever. These six cards have color photos imposed on a colorful prism background (the 1990s definition of a prism). </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>My box of 24 packs contained a complete set of the 23-card event winners, as well as the Moraes highlight card from the chase set that is apparently seeded one per box. Surprisingly, the base cards were not collated nearly as well as the inserts; of the 144 base cards found in the box, I managed to get just 83 different of the possible 100. A whopping 61 of the cards were duplicates, and a bull named "Hell's Bells" showed up five times. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>As much as I like the designs found within the insert sets, I have to say I'm indifferent when it comes to the base cards. Each front has a cowhide border design, along with the PBR logo, subject's name, job description and card number. Backs contain some biographical data and more cowhide borders. The high-tech/c<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">owhide motif doesn't quite seem to work.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>You can still be an oddball card collector if you decide to pass on these cards. But if you know someone who interested in pro bull riding, or would otherwise like a card featuring a glamour shot of "Hell's Bells," a box of these may just be the unique gift you're looking to give. Factory sets were also printed, and feature all 129 cards in one whack. An unopened box should trade in the $10 range today, while a factory set will cost $20 to $30.</b></span></div>
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<a target="_blank" href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=PBR&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=212&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg">Click here to find PBR Cards on eBay</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=PBR&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D">
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<br />Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-8523960942724256552016-04-16T14:14:00.000-07:002016-10-10T23:01:59.143-07:00Results of the Topps NOW Baseball Alert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2w8SMjcnz6mByOvt7SV98Uxiw9eosWtge_4l8XF7fMVbaqvFxzf_CamME15wRHINNwdMOAVOoHAGjH86GZisAtPIwUZbeF0e7NgEYex9CWaWS0yqm8-pCYThlwvrnPv_eHrXUQbDmvQ/s1600/16jackie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2w8SMjcnz6mByOvt7SV98Uxiw9eosWtge_4l8XF7fMVbaqvFxzf_CamME15wRHINNwdMOAVOoHAGjH86GZisAtPIwUZbeF0e7NgEYex9CWaWS0yqm8-pCYThlwvrnPv_eHrXUQbDmvQ/s320/16jackie.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>The window for ordering yesterday's four Topps NOW cards is closed. I felt the offering of four cards in one day was an interesting scenario, seeing as how none of them featured a rookie, and <a href="http://oddballcardcollector.blogspot.com/2016/04/2106-topps-now-baseball-alert.html" target="_blank">I loosely guessed</a> what the production numbers would wind up being.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>For starters, I pointed out that two of the cards pictured superstar players; Bryce Harper and Jackie Robinson. I predicted that Topps would sell several hundred of each player, and indeed, 759 of Jackie Robinson's cards were sold. Bryce Harper surprised me a bit, as a whopping 1,286 of his cards were ordered (by far the largest print run for a veteran)... When you compare that to the 782 examples printed of Harper's first card just ten days before, one starts to see that this Topps NOW program is really gaining some steam.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Phillies pitcher Vincent Velasquez and Cardinals pitcher Jaime Garcia were the two other players featured on NOW cards yesterday, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to know that their cards would be ordered in smaller quantities. I felt that Velasquez' card would have a higher print run than Garcia's, because Velasquez is a strikeout pitcher near the beginning of his MLB career; Garcia, on the other hand, has been in the league since 2008 and has yet to achieve All-Star status. Predictably enough, Velasquez' print run was 557, while Garcia's was right at an even 300. Yesterday, I felt that Garcia had the potential to be at or near the lowest print total for all NOW cards, and my guess wasn't too far off. Garcia's print run of 300 cards is a tad bit more than the four lowest; Albert Pujols (244), Chris Davis (266), Francisco Liriano (266) and Nolan Arenado (268).</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Ten of those 300 Jaime Garcia cards are mine. It will be interesting to see how low-printed cards like this fare over the next several months, and I have a feeling that set collectors will be the primary force to drive up their value. At a cost of five dollars per card, I'm really not too worried!</b></span></div>
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<a target="_blank" href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=Topps+Now&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=213&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg">Click here to hunt for Topps NOW cards on eBay</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=Topps+Now&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D">
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Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-2210048806977559142016-04-15T12:56:00.002-07:002016-10-10T23:04:02.676-07:002016 Topps NOW Baseball Alert!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceBFKTYY64S7OVnuI5V4UtgUOTQ-y0aXrtrEFtLyzkjvsXU8Jvfpv2ELdrzQBjMauzk-GGdKaM7XPGLy3b-pDM2ZLz4eXw_bf8U0MeMxo_wicOygCb6IpDKXz5KqCI4hbU2DlM6fRpYI/s1600/16garcia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceBFKTYY64S7OVnuI5V4UtgUOTQ-y0aXrtrEFtLyzkjvsXU8Jvfpv2ELdrzQBjMauzk-GGdKaM7XPGLy3b-pDM2ZLz4eXw_bf8U0MeMxo_wicOygCb6IpDKXz5KqCI4hbU2DlM6fRpYI/s320/16garcia.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Here at the Oddball Card Collector Blog, we're not really in the business of tracking breaking hobby news. We did notice today, however, that Topps has decided to release four new NOW cards in one day! Phillies pitcher Vincent Velasquez, Cardinals pitcher Jaime Garcia, Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper and Dodgers legend Jackie Robinson are each the subject of their own NOW card, available for sale on the <a href="https://www.topps.com/collectibles/trading-cards/topps-now.html/" target="_blank">Topps website</a> over the next 24 hours.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>As we mentioned in our <a href="http://oddballcardcollector.blogspot.com/2016/04/2016-topps-now-baseball-cards.html" target="_blank">previous Topps N<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">OW</span> post</a>, the rookie cards are the ones being purchased in the largest quantities. As of today, the four cards with the lowest print runs feature four veteran players: Albert Pujols (244), Chris Davis (266), Francisco Liriano (266) and Nolan Arenado (268). </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Getting back to the four cards that were released today, none of them are rookies. Bryce Harper and Jackie Robinson both reside in the superstar category, and Topps will probably sell several hundred of each. The most intriguing cards today, regarding their possible small print runs, are pitchers Vincent Velasquez and Jaime Garcia. The Phillies' Velasquez will potentially be a great strikeout pitcher for years to come, and has pitched almost flawlessly in his first two starts of 2016. His Topps NOW card is not branded as a rookie because of his inclusion in the 2015 Topps Update and Heritage High Series sets. While I believe the number of NOW cards sold of Velasquez will suffer because they lack the rookie designation, I <i>reeeaally</i> think the Jaime Garcia cards will be overlooked.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>I'm going out on a limb by predicting that today's Jaime Garcia card has the potential to have the lowest print run of all the NOW cards thus far. This limb is only about six inches above the ground, I believe, and is a pretty safe bet. I certainly don't see the print run being anything above 300. Garcia is a solid pitcher, but is not an All-Star and is already playing his eighth season in the Majors. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>I'll revisit this post tomorrow to update how my predictions fared. Stay tuned, NOW fans!</b></span></div>
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<a target="_blank" href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=Topps+Now&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=213&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg">Click here to hunt for Topps NOW cards on eBay</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=Topps+Now&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D">
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbHPUD4wbJ5tApN6eWsSN_I6Wyg5T92dcR7A_MBIfZR5gRhK8JEUdEDWC2AwRdZBk48pHtISekbcBRRBuRlJJjtwy-UCVAE1CxWoadujAb8FEtsS0B4iAyn3MYEXiKmIgVagAdxs12gw/s1600/16velasquez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbHPUD4wbJ5tApN6eWsSN_I6Wyg5T92dcR7A_MBIfZR5gRhK8JEUdEDWC2AwRdZBk48pHtISekbcBRRBuRlJJjtwy-UCVAE1CxWoadujAb8FEtsS0B4iAyn3MYEXiKmIgVagAdxs12gw/s320/16velasquez.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<br />Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-11474226788220668312016-04-11T22:38:00.002-07:002016-10-10T23:06:08.701-07:002016 Topps NOW Baseball Cards<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>You may have noticed these past few years that Topps has experimented with several modern ways to release baseball cards; virtually all of these methods relate to the internet, whether it be their semi-closed <a href="http://oddballcardcollector.blogspot.com/2015/08/what-is-etopps-program.html" target="_blank">eTopps program</a>, eBay Topps Vault store, or exclusive classic player reprint sets available only on the Topps website.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8bmpRaosRz4g063-Ww3qOzpg-HRMFeWNAzjKdwzmJ3WsvXAro8T6_CvXjUEdtkHkvE-W9aA4HkZxa5njw2aHSgivm8m7V7_MfOD8ZRnQyCzMduPnJiCQ_-_jU5uC5-mZQnU40VabmLc/s1600/16liriano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8bmpRaosRz4g063-Ww3qOzpg-HRMFeWNAzjKdwzmJ3WsvXAro8T6_CvXjUEdtkHkvE-W9aA4HkZxa5njw2aHSgivm8m7V7_MfOD8ZRnQyCzMduPnJiCQ_-_jU5uC5-mZQnU40VabmLc/s1600/16liriano.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The cardmaker's newest baseball offering is a unique idea called "Topps NOW." Every day of the MLB season Topps will release one or two cards, each featuring a player (or team) that had a notable performance the day before. For example, the first card in the set features Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano, who struck out ten Cardinals and notched a win on April 3... The NOW card commemorating this feat was made available for purchase o<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">n</span> the Topps website for 24 hours, on April 4 beginning at noon. Shortly after an offering closes, Topps <a href="http://www.topps.com/collectibles/trading-cards/topps-now.html" target="_blank">announces the print run on their website</a> and mails the cards out to the buyers (266 Liriano cards were printed, by the way). As of this writing, the program is still getting started and just twelve different cards have been released. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Anyone with a Paypal account or credit/debit card can order a NOW card from the Topps website after registering. This same one-time registration also allows you to purchase any other products offered on the Topps website. One feature of this program is that you can order just the cards you want, assuming you do it during their 24-hour window. The website gives you the option of ordering one card for $9.99, five cards for $29.95, ten cards for $49.99 or twenty cards for $79.99; shipping is included in these prices.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Cards are the standard 2 1/2" by 3 1/2" size, and are printed on 16-point glossy card stock. Fronts feature borderless color photos that were taken the day of the actual event, with a line of text across the bottom that tells what the highlighted event is. Card backs are simple, with a paragraph detailing the event and any relevant backstory. </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkI0FyFeMlQWuKD_wVaL0r0VnvOBj9QamcRnMvZ9qeWK_ak3nFk4fkBCWMz7dXjKrZstcxsVL1B_qdN-k_ciqlIr5PyOwU_YtT-yOrz-DxHRrH_M5ifGF02oD5GjiqPInYU6Tv5URGWY/s1600/16+white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkI0FyFeMlQWuKD_wVaL0r0VnvOBj9QamcRnMvZ9qeWK_ak3nFk4fkBCWMz7dXjKrZstcxsVL1B_qdN-k_ciqlIr5PyOwU_YtT-yOrz-DxHRrH_M5ifGF02oD5GjiqPInYU6Tv5URGWY/s320/16+white.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>My opinions are as follows: I think the cards are nice and a welcome addition to the hobby. These can be considered a new generation of oddball cards in an era where you no longer get <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">them</span> from the barber shop or a local patrolman. It may be unrealistic to complete a set of these, but Topps welcomes you to buy just the cards you want (and the quantities you want).</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Regarding the potential value of the NOW cards, I think it's safe to say that many of these will hover near their issue price for a while, and some will dip well below the issue price as time goes on. Even though a mere 266 Francisco Liriano NOW cards were printed, the supply may still outweigh the demand in today's age of the "super short print" card. The <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">one</span>s that have the most potential for a price increase are the rookies, which feature the appropriate "RC" logo on the fronts. Even though the rookie cards are being ordered in larger quantities by speculators -- 1,350 cards of Astros prospect Tyler White were printed -- I believe the rookies still hold the potential for the greatest price increases. Future first-ballot Hall of Famer Albert Pujols has the distinction thus far of having the card with the lowest print run (244); even so, his NOW card may get lost in the shuffle of all the other limited cards a Pujols collector m<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ight</span> chase these days.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0PRZiE3kykoNgbGu_McDpa95QxzJLqWIamah-GYtphaUtGjuL3KNZUpRX3o1-Q77zABorypeTWUKWp_ihiMjxypGncvwQKXMVhqoZ_pG1QDKLtvTiVKFEOv-mYoaKoRz5jMSSKKGTwc/s1600/16mazara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0PRZiE3kykoNgbGu_McDpa95QxzJLqWIamah-GYtphaUtGjuL3KNZUpRX3o1-Q77zABorypeTWUKWp_ihiMjxypGncvwQKXMVhqoZ_pG1QDKLtvTiVKFEOv-mYoaKoRz5jMSSKKGTwc/s320/16mazara.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>I've been keeping an eye on the daily NOW releases, waiting to pull the trigger on a card that catches my interest. Today was that day. I finally settled on the twelfth card to be issued, which features Rangers rookie outfielder Nomar Mazara. Called up at just 20 years of age, Mazara went 3 for 4 with a home run in his Major League debut; I also noticed, several hours after I ordered the cards, that he went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored this evening... I have a feeling that he may edge out Tyler White and take the crown for the most NOW cards issued. <span style="color: red;"><i>(Update: yep, 1,427 Mazara cards were <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">printed)</span></i></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>I probably won't be throwing tons of money at this set. There are still hundreds upon hundreds of oddball sets waiting to be added to the archives, and I'll continue to dedicate much of my spare time to tracking <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">as many</span> of them down as possible. Even so, I will look forward to my daily email from Topps, informing me of the new NOW cards that show up for sale (I would recommend that all collectors put themselves on the Topps email list, whi<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ch informs you of all their current oddball release<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">s</span></span>). </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Heck, maybe maybe the profits I gain from these Nomar Mazara cards will help land me that 1980 TCMA Reading Phillies set I've had my eye on for years!</b></span><br />
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<a target="_blank" href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=Topps+Now&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=213&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg">Click here to hunt for Topps NOW cards on eBay</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=Topps+Now&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D">
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<i><a href="https://oddballcardcollector.blogspot.com/2016/05/2016-topps-now-baseball-first-50.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Click here to read a post about the first 50 2106 Topps NOW cards </b></span></a></i></div>
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<a href="http://oddballcardcollector.blogspot.com/2016/05/2016-topps-now-baseball-first-100-plus.html" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Click here to read a post about the first 100 2016 Topps Now Cards</b></span></i></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.topps.com/collectibles/trading-cards/topps-now.html/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;"><i>Click here to go to the Topps website for a complete NOW checklist with print runs</i></span></a> </b></span></div>
Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-2447307405604358832016-04-10T20:00:00.000-07:002016-10-13T11:22:30.513-07:001988 Smokey Bear San Diego Chargers Set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAiCuXFgtCZdjJ9Vab_kQcpI8eihP9xzQSaPK97wbdFi3n3G_RZsdBMkh6D0RkI4Ei1KE50J-WS5TGbH7zh68KYTEYrHZ0bFOvXyMHdNX2iJVCUc2qLqKY-QieacNrca2p-kK2UNTvqgo/s1600/88sdc2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHUEXQlWuqFamNfGUK1aS26eUVabXMvmA08ZpuT4C7tuDgia-yEKqjBapZnVD7XaJutF-dTEmixtrXXaO72TDNSc25G9xw1ePQRX7UHcOVd__ae7cOXduXwTDXr_VG_T-MPIRwQinLbY/s320/88sdc1.gif" width="202" /> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAiCuXFgtCZdjJ9Vab_kQcpI8eihP9xzQSaPK97wbdFi3n3G_RZsdBMkh6D0RkI4Ei1KE50J-WS5TGbH7zh68KYTEYrHZ0bFOvXyMHdNX2iJVCUc2qLqKY-QieacNrca2p-kK2UNTvqgo/s320/88sdc2.gif" width="202" /></a></div>
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<a target="_blank" href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=Smokey+Set&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=212&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg">Click here to find Smokey Card Sets on eBay</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=Smokey+Set&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The San Diego Chargers were the subject of a "Smokey Bear" fire prevention set that was released in 1988. This was the second Chargers Smokey set issued over a a string of four consecutive years, from 1987 through 1990. All of these sets feature cards that are over three times larger than the standard size of 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The '88 Smokey Chargers cards measure 5 by 8 inches. They are printed on thin cardstock (a stacked complete set measures less than 1/2 inch thick), and a set is complete at 52 cards. Incredibly, 1<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">7</span> of the 52 cards are shortptrints; cards would be withdrawn from distribution as players were injured or left the team. The entire fronts of the cards are filled by candid, game day photos, with the only borders being a rectangular pinstripe that frames each card edge. The only other graphics found on card fronts are all in the lower right corner; the subject's name and position, along with a small Smokey Bear head and Chargers football helmet. Backs each feature a prominent drawing that promotes fire safety, as well as a few biographical points for the person who is the subject of the card. The sponsors are listed across the back bottom, and include the Chargers, Forest Service, U.S.D.A., California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Prevention, and the Bureau of Land Management, U.S.D.I. Cards are not numbered except for player uniform numbers.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGZgB-ck04zN-gs3rOg3oU4oMrYSKI4jXDADBSgByXNg9M3eHS6XfkKROKjT7XGjJDFRwiq-SRV6TX4H_TvaL33RMsk0ojeqadCAmDCe4FhuYvaTBI0Xx78_r7VclYclm6lIQQWJnSvg/s1600/sdsmokey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGZgB-ck04zN-gs3rOg3oU4oMrYSKI4jXDADBSgByXNg9M3eHS6XfkKROKjT7XGjJDFRwiq-SRV6TX4H_TvaL33RMsk0ojeqadCAmDCe4FhuYvaTBI0Xx78_r7VclYclm6lIQQWJnSvg/s320/sdsmokey.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>There is much to like about these cards, especially when one considers the landscape of the football collecting hobby back in 1988. Topps was still the only game in town in '88, though things would change quickly just one year later with the welcome arrivals of ProSet and Score... But until these two new football card makers would go on to forever raise the standard of action photography on every card front, collectors were stuck with the usual mediocrity of Topps and their endless parade of helmetless, sitting or standing player photos (look up any Eric Dickerson or Tony Dorsett "regular" Topps card released during the 1980s and you'll see what I mean). </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The Forest Service used this design for several sports-related sets over the course of roughly three years, from 1988 through 1990. This somewhat timeless design ranks among one of my personal all-time favorites, and was used for football, baseball, and even a small set of rodeo cards in 1990. A few months ago we featured the <a href="http://oddballcardcollector.blogspot.com/2016/01/1988-st-louis-cardinals-smokey-bear.html" target="_blank">1988 Smokey St. Louis Cardinals set</a>, which shares a similar motif.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The fact that there are 52 different Chargers players and staffers found in this set makes it a must-have for fans who are looking to collect obscure names that were underrepresented in the nationally-released football sets. Two such names are Head Coach Al Saunders and Chairman of the Board Alex G. Spanos, since Topps did not include staff cards in their football sets. Quarterbacks Mark Hermann and Mark Vlasic are both pictured before their rookie cards were printed in national sets. Tight end Rod Bernstine is also pictured a year before his ProSet rookie card was released, and fan-favorite receiver Wes Chandler is pictured a year after his <i>last</i> Topps card was issued.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>There is one known variation card found in the set, featuring Chairman of the Board Alex G. Spanos. The first printing of his card incorrectly states on the back that he purchased the team in 1987; the corrected version of the card gives the year as 1984. The incorrect version is the scarcer of the two and is one of the more valuable cards in the set.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The shortprints are obtainable, meaning a set must have them to be considered complete. Generally speaking, the '88 Smokey Chargers cards don't show up in any significant quantities on eBay; I would not consider these cards scarce, but similar to many other oddball sets from this era, the cards were dissipated to collectors and non-collectors alike many moons ago and tend to stay tucked away. When a set comes available, I'd expect the value to be in the $35 to $50 range.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>(2) Ralf Mojsiejenko<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, P</span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">(9) Mark Hermann, QB (S<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">hortprint)</span></span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> (10) Vince Abbott, K</span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(13) Mark Vlasic, QB</span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(14) <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Dan Fouts, QB</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(20) Barry Redden, RB</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(22) Gill Byrd, CB/S</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">(23) Danny Walters, CB (Shortprint)</span></span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(25) V<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">e</span>ncie Glenn, FS</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(26) Lionel James, WR</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">(27) Daniel Hunter, CB (Shortprint)</span></span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(34) Elvis Patterson, CB</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">(36) Mike </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Davis, SS (Shortprint)</span></span></span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(40) Gary Anderson, RB</span></span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(42) Curtis Adams, RB</span></span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(43) Tim Spencer, FB</span></span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(44) Martin Bayless, SS</span></span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(50) Gary Plummer, ILB</span></span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span> (52) Jeffrey Jackson, ILB</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(54) Billy Ray Smith, OLB</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(55) Steve Busick, ILB (Shortprint)</span></span></b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(56) Chip Banks, OLB (Shortprint)</span></span></b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">(57) Thomas Benson, ILB (Shortprint)</span></span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(58) David Brandon, OLB</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(60) Dennis McKnight, G</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(61) Ken Dallafior, G</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(62) Don Macek, C</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(68) Gary Kowalski, T</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(69) Les Miller, DE</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(70) James Fitzpatrick, G/T</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(71) Mike Charles, NT</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(72) Karl Wilson, DE</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">(74) Jim Lachey, T (Shortprint)</span></span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(75) Joe Phillips, DE</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(76) Broderick Thompson, G/T</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(77) Sam Claphan, G/T (Shortprint)</span></span></b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(78) Chuck Ehin, NT (Shortprint)</span></span></b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">(79) Curtis Rouse, G/T (Shortprint)</span></span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(80) Kellen Winslow, TE</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">(81) Timmie Ware, WR (Shortprint)</span></span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(82) Rod Bernstine, TE</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(85) Eric Sievers, TE</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(86) Jamie Holland, WR</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(88) Pete Holohan, TE (Shortprint)</span></span></b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(89) Wes Chandler, WR (Shortprint)</span></span></b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">(92) Dee Hardison, DE (Shortprint)</span></span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(94) Randy Kirk, LB</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(96) Keith Baldwin, DE (Shortprint)</span></span></b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">(98) Terry Unrein, NT (Shortprint)</span></span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(99) Lee Williams, DE</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(NNO) Al Saunders, Head Coach</span></span></b></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(NNO) Alex G. Spanos<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, CB/President</span> (ERR, 1987)</span></span></b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(NNO<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">) Alex G. Spanos, CB/President (COR, 1984)</span></span></span></i></span> </span></b></span></div>
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Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-36017564415069219512016-04-07T18:34:00.000-07:002016-04-11T22:44:45.403-07:001995 Slapshot Images Ltd. Memorial Cup Souvenir Set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8B5Fk-u2Mi4qu0yHPrJcZEf_o65TpQtmMSE4Z5Je07eaKQinSCVdscIJIgAW6mPmr3tgpUvvCq4AukROkJkTWCOGIv24TTcmNl4i7Bcdf1GxH88E3SU0gYTQbZySCHMwQ-6VSTCV271M/s1600/95memcup.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8B5Fk-u2Mi4qu0yHPrJcZEf_o65TpQtmMSE4Z5Je07eaKQinSCVdscIJIgAW6mPmr3tgpUvvCq4AukROkJkTWCOGIv24TTcmNl4i7Bcdf1GxH88E3SU0gYTQbZySCHMwQ-6VSTCV271M/s320/95memcup.gif" width="227" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>A company by the name of Slapshot Images Limited, which wasn't around for very long, produced a 110-card boxed set in 1995 to commemorate junior hockey's yearly Memorial Cup. The format of the Memorial Cup tournament has existed in a few different forms since it's inaugural year of 1919, and the current four-team format has been in place since 1983; the QMJHL, OHL and WHL are each represented by their championship-winning team, and a pre-determined host team/city from one of the three leagues adds the fourth. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The four teams that participated in the 1995 "Chrysler" Memorial Cup were the Detroit Junior Red Wings (OHL), Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL), Hull Olympiques (QMJHL) and Kamloops Blazers (WHL). The Blazers happened to be the host team for that year's tourney, but would have played regardless as the champions of the WHL; the Brandon Wheat Kings were invited to play due to their runner-up status in the WHL. At tournament's end, Kamloops would win the Cup (the hosting city has won the contest nine times since the current format began in 1983). </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jxJ5r3Xf4RNAzTkKt-8np6w3EAnod9CnOnCRW2lH_ycZ7YhEFDVQoZFi0qCFLLN3gd1u63uQnm2zQ1zMwx1RxpW2ev4jHd111Fw2GbPtV7kyHKW_5XE2u380Cn2hJQ1Qh5Y3Q2qs-Xk/s1600/95memcupbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jxJ5r3Xf4RNAzTkKt-8np6w3EAnod9CnOnCRW2lH_ycZ7YhEFDVQoZFi0qCFLLN3gd1u63uQnm2zQ1zMwx1RxpW2ev4jHd111Fw2GbPtV7kyHKW_5XE2u380Cn2hJQ1Qh5Y3Q2qs-Xk/s320/95memcupbox.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The cards that Slapshot Images produced for this event were packaged in boxes that were sealed with clear plastic and individually numbered on the fronts, with an total print run of 5,000 sets. Of the 110 cards found in the set, 100 feature players and coaches, four are team checklists, three are league championship cards and three are league season-summary cards. An extra card, which features a 1995 calendar and contact info for Slapshot Images in Kitchener, Ontario is also found in the box but is not part of the set.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Both the fronts and backs of the cards feature a color photo of the player or coach, along with a simulated wood grain background. Team names are prominently displayed along the front left borders, and a small Memorial Cup logo is found at each bottom right. Cards are numbered on the backs. </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60d6hkmKrq1d8dNlFd0yzKFuYkk-EGosedC2RHQ8UFn0A9ugpQmrRtkwXWU_CUjIVvE2jdUKORksNJHeHghANJuUPZzLczsAu4FyW0eQe3QnHT8GIaF8seLis4uN4wly2yPoBSRlUiuY/s1600/95doan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60d6hkmKrq1d8dNlFd0yzKFuYkk-EGosedC2RHQ8UFn0A9ugpQmrRtkwXWU_CUjIVvE2jdUKORksNJHeHghANJuUPZzLczsAu4FyW0eQe3QnHT8GIaF8seLis4uN4wly2yPoBSRlUiuY/s320/95doan.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>As would be expected, the set is loaded with future NHL talent. Hockey fans will be familiar with names such as Shane Doan, Chris Dingman, Bryan Berard, Peter Worrell, Colin White, Darcy Tucker and future Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla. Kamloops coach Don Hay and Detroit coach Paul Maurice are also notable names found in the set.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>As much as I'd love to love this set, I'll go ahead and say I like it. Serial numbered oddball sets are always a nice addition to the collection, and this set fills an underappreciated niche that is mid-90s junior hockey. On the downside, the wooden background isn't as <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">attractive</span> as it could be, and the photo quality on the card fronts leave much to be desired; it appears as if many of the photos are grainy "stills" captured from a video monitor (we're talking about an analog, washed-out 1990s monitor as opposed to the ultra-high resolution 4K screens you might buy today). Regardless, I'm glad to own the set and believe one would be a great addition to any hockey collection. I'd estimate a current value of $12 to $25 for a sealed set, with the large range due to the fact that these sets don't show up for sale every day.</b></span></div>
<br />Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-42091442154909199832016-04-02T11:59:00.000-07:002016-10-13T11:34:25.885-07:00The 2016 Las Vegas Vacation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIg68cSwF9CGPGDZiZUDlKcmt7-HwVZiH5147YvVe-yn-r5cDI9l8TCkhy-3wjF2in_loHrPQdmS_Yu3nxqqpMNqjJqxVWv7zIaMV4Ijcmt2k9fcEYhtqgJAV6gW0l7nifje1VROARSw/s1600/granderson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIg68cSwF9CGPGDZiZUDlKcmt7-HwVZiH5147YvVe-yn-r5cDI9l8TCkhy-3wjF2in_loHrPQdmS_Yu3nxqqpMNqjJqxVWv7zIaMV4Ijcmt2k9fcEYhtqgJAV6gW0l7nifje1VROARSw/s1600/granderson.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>I usually write my blog entries in a reference-based style, though I try to make the posts somewhat lighthearted and entertaining. As I notice my blog hits increase, thanks to the help of fellow card bloggers like <a href="http://clydes-stalecards.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jason Presley</a>, <a href="http://nightowlcards.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Night Owl</a> and <a href="http://sanjosefuji.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Fuji</a>, I might be inclined to add the occasional posts that are semi-related to oddball cards, or maybe sports in general.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Consider this post one of those.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>My wife and I love driving from our home in Southern Oregon to Las Vegas every year, usually around March or April. Lake Tahoe, Death Valley and Las Vegas are all beautiful this time of year, and hotel/car rental prices are actually quite reasonable when one sneaks around before the summer tourism rush begins.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>For the second year in a row we decided to stay at the Main Street Station Hotel and Casino, which is located one block away from the "old strip" on Fremont Street. Our room was on the ninth floor, and features an excellent view of Fremont. Here's the view from the room, including some reading material I brought for the slow times (wow, don't those new '89 Score baseball cards look kinda... ummm... boring):</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyP_8PxnomU8VEJ14I3tI0Lx2M82hiMoOMBKRGTOEoPMFFUGIYygB4yEeIzY_b_nrNs3p3ACtq0BWgolROnybz173Q3bye64Ehbvf6vA_gvRo60j2QNbNvpUUjr46N3cWMKts-GDmLuwM/s1600/scd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyP_8PxnomU8VEJ14I3tI0Lx2M82hiMoOMBKRGTOEoPMFFUGIYygB4yEeIzY_b_nrNs3p3ACtq0BWgolROnybz173Q3bye64Ehbvf6vA_gvRo60j2QNbNvpUUjr46N3cWMKts-GDmLuwM/s1600/scd.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Of course, there's plenty to do in Vegas. One great place that's always good for treasure hunting is a huge-ass store called the Antique Mall of America. It's the size of a major department store and is filled with booths from hundreds of different vendors. I always promise myself not to buy random things that will clutter the house; a promise that was in full effect on this trip. I did wind up buying four small oddball sets from the antique mall that were needed for the collection: A 1995 Slapshot Images Memorial Cup hockey set (numbered 1,716 out of 5,000 sets), a 1992 MAXX/Gargoyles Winston Cup All-Pro set (numbered 582 out of ??? sets), and 1993 Stadium Club boxed sets of the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins. The fifth item in the photo below is a stack of 2003 Ricky Craven promo cards. All five items cost a total of $24.87.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcPa2aKvIfNZcQKPDdFHvbvUW1NvEnwPb7lzng6vWtO6xN_jdKCX1zfKRUsQ6XdloqRMr9WTcHB7hi14DAMIjq7uMnFt_ESZY5ElCaAfZC7YQCsMJwqiuNQ1gsUxmQagiKZcaliGpD2s/s1600/odds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcPa2aKvIfNZcQKPDdFHvbvUW1NvEnwPb7lzng6vWtO6xN_jdKCX1zfKRUsQ6XdloqRMr9WTcHB7hi14DAMIjq7uMnFt_ESZY5ElCaAfZC7YQCsMJwqiuNQ1gsUxmQagiKZcaliGpD2s/s320/odds.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>While perusing a Vegas Target store later that day, I came across this Fairfield football box which contained 20 packs for 20 bucks. Teasing me right in the front window was a 2014 Topps Valor jumbo pack, which grabbed my interest right away as I'm an Odell Beckham collector. Five packs of 2014 Score were also in the box, giving me a decent chance at some Odell rookie mojo. </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-n8dJw_UZHtfOJEY6rmSx-sutzmLrceQBjqgNRUv2nqT5ULsi-AOSwRfwE4F9XxqY8ej6_cAzGv0YSsYdyq1CZ7BPOUPaSmJf9rjRjZDGfjpFXqocad5qu7PKGJPYNZjqxY18czBBFU/s1600/mss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-n8dJw_UZHtfOJEY6rmSx-sutzmLrceQBjqgNRUv2nqT5ULsi-AOSwRfwE4F9XxqY8ej6_cAzGv0YSsYdyq1CZ7BPOUPaSmJf9rjRjZDGfjpFXqocad5qu7PKGJPYNZjqxY18czBBFU/s400/mss.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Here are the packs that my twenty bucks purchased:</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyu0luVsovcI_49pT66ljGj0D1uffiPjRHWs0pZWUEgVVfa6FgyOpK0gfGjIYKIUfYcYM86MRoyf-OpPzsn9f3Qmt4It7pPc-xorYLRU7LH0OGbHOE3mrYIAccRI1yEytFEp76o9O5S5A/s1600/packs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyu0luVsovcI_49pT66ljGj0D1uffiPjRHWs0pZWUEgVVfa6FgyOpK0gfGjIYKIUfYcYM86MRoyf-OpPzsn9f3Qmt4It7pPc-xorYLRU7LH0OGbHOE3mrYIAccRI1yEytFEp76o9O5S5A/s1600/packs.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The biggest hit of the box surprisingly came from one of the two 2013 Upper Deck Notre Dame packs, which yielded an autograph of alumnus John Scully (the odds <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">of</span> pulling an auto from that series is 1 in 24 packs). The Charlie Whitehurst jersey card is the extra "hit" card as advertised on the front of the box, and came in a firm penny sleeve. Sadly, there were no Odell cards anywhere to be found.</b></span></div>
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<a target="_blank" href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=2014+football+box+-break&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=212&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg">Click here to find 2014 Football Boxes on eBay</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=2014+football+box+-break&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPC7IWE9We2A6wq3BR-JUGCNF9usSdEMqeQtiliZG6LlEFZ_QTPgOoj8WBa5TYnYHxAo-XegqIvcOmhCco0Yv96XkGmL5zsaZewzYGgj6XAtKB_P52b8CB8wQls3c1OyZiBjb8H-Wl1k/s1600/cardhaul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPC7IWE9We2A6wq3BR-JUGCNF9usSdEMqeQtiliZG6LlEFZ_QTPgOoj8WBa5TYnYHxAo-XegqIvcOmhCco0Yv96XkGmL5zsaZewzYGgj6XAtKB_P52b8CB8wQls3c1OyZiBjb8H-Wl1k/s640/cardhaul.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Two events we purchased tickets for during our stay were the Penn & Teller magic show, and the New York Mets vs. Chicago Cubs spring training game held at Cashman Field in Las Vegas on March 31 (the two teams also played a second game the next day). Penn & Teller were amazing as expected, and I'd call it a must-see if you're in the area. The Mets vs. Cubs game was my first trip to Cashman, and I'll admit it's the nicest Minor League park I've seen to date. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>I was anxious to try out my new SLR camera, a Nikon D3300 with the Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm lens. Based on the photos I took that evening, my opinion is that anyone can take professional-quality photographs with the right equipment. I took the photo of Curtis Granderson in the batter's box (found at the top of this post), as well as the four photos below of Jason Heyward, David Wright, Kris Bryant and Mets pitching prospect Paul Sewald. It's interesting to see that both teams wore their blue jerseys that evening:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>I should mention that I picked up three Las Vegas 51s team sets from the Cashman gift shop. For $3 each, I was able to add the 2009, 2011 and 201<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2 sets to my collection<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">. Lots of fami<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">liar names are found here to include J.P. Arencibia, Brett Lawrie, Travi<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">s d'Arnaud, Anthony Gose, Adeiny Hechavaria and Yan Gomes. </span></span></span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7n6SBecJW4DT2ZyPIGJKu4WKVrivfe5d_v9Pw8QfC8eAQkYn6J3yYayC9EmSQ4GJUXqEgTJ-KmTu1ra-Gf3tMx0Ty-VR6MT2we-8FEt_AzCpztGHMh9DT40voZQiI0CYrKqAVqSxVVg/s1600/51sets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7n6SBecJW4DT2ZyPIGJKu4WKVrivfe5d_v9Pw8QfC8eAQkYn6J3yYayC9EmSQ4GJUXqEgTJ-KmTu1ra-Gf3tMx0Ty-VR6MT2we-8FEt_AzCpztGHMh9DT40voZQiI0CYrKqAVqSxVVg/s640/51sets.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Vegas can be fun, even w<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ithout drinking or gambling (tho<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ugh I<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> did turn $10 into $16 at <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the blackjack table). Bu<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">t I'm glad to be home, and </span></span></span></span>m</span>y next post will return to the usual chronicling of oddball sets. Thanks for allowing me to share my vacation memories, and let's keep <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">dredging up</span> the oddball stuff!</b></span></div>
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Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-38920012510979456622016-03-27T13:24:00.000-07:002016-10-13T11:49:45.436-07:002008 Upper Deck New York Giants Super Bowl Champions Box Set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdBfibUwi-BQdrNnE9GiPbJwwam5fj4E-oPOxmaBdJhluoIR8KNccwjESUuzMazPV6ur6Rs5Uej9bOMcGVUcHOKf19EZDZKBwIuDXlwN28oPGsNgDIbMeL7hZnpPqsxUzlkLzh9F4VSQ/s1600/2008giantssb.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdBfibUwi-BQdrNnE9GiPbJwwam5fj4E-oPOxmaBdJhluoIR8KNccwjESUuzMazPV6ur6Rs5Uej9bOMcGVUcHOKf19EZDZKBwIuDXlwN28oPGsNgDIbMeL7hZnpPqsxUzlkLzh9F4VSQ/s320/2008giantssb.gif" width="227" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The National Football League's Super Bowl game is easily the most celebrated sporting event in North America, and has been for many years now. Even as a young cavalry scout in the Army back in the 1990s, my fellow rogues and I would often be allowed to report late for work the day after the Super Bowl (this depended on the "cool factor" of our commanding officer). Food retailers report that sales are stronger during Super Bowl weekend tha<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">n</span> many officially-recognized holidays. Last but not least, we must not forget to honor the advertisers who were willing to pay an average of five million dollars per 30-second commercial spot during Super Bowl 50 this past February.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Needles to say, countless cards have also been printed to celebrate the NFL's season-end championship game. Topps first issued a <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GWQuqnhmhe7IYJXvkmDx4nCfTirVZDJXTGHP5BZjbBPVT5uUbjO3vvUk-1mlMBExGVNjoIQ9ZQwdVmeS6STZ0Pt0RPcuxjqWIALTMgXZDt70NebN6wAgLTdlN5v__0X9nQb7cIhboVA/s386-Ic42/72toppssb.jpg" target="_blank">Super Bowl card</a> in their 1972 football set, which featured Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach scrambling against the stingy Dolphins defense in Super Bowl VI. As far as I can tell, the first "boxed set" of Super Bowl cards was issued by ProSet in 1990 to commemorate the best players and coaches to emerge during the 25-year history of the event (dubbed by ProSet as a limited edition set, these cards are about as scarce as ants at a picnic -- held on an ant farm). </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZvqDHKOeJgbnzBD_igwLamIWJe4Z5BGCHY_3w0OSQZDx-9QZEWXjYPiWkS6CGSxsJcnXUX6IdLeEI_eJPO7W3DQUZNIarFmd4pSBXTbM82M4hnMz3hBhjnKH5LJHECS8qvRC1mPWGlA/s1600/08sbbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZvqDHKOeJgbnzBD_igwLamIWJe4Z5BGCHY_3w0OSQZDx-9QZEWXjYPiWkS6CGSxsJcnXUX6IdLeEI_eJPO7W3DQUZNIarFmd4pSBXTbM82M4hnMz3hBhjnKH5LJHECS8qvRC1mPWGlA/s320/08sbbox.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Super Bowl boxed sets have more or less appeared yearly since ProSet's 1990 release, with numerous manufacturers and formats being used since. One such set was released in 2008 by hobby heavyweight Upper Deck. Packaged in a box similar to the size of "blaster boxes" that can be found at Target and Wal-Mart, this Super Bowl XLII set was printed after the game was played and features only players from the triumphant New York Giants club. Regarded as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XLII" target="_blank">biggest upset in Super Bowl history</a>, the Giants managed to come from behind in the final minute of the game to beat the heavily-favored New England Patriots squad.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The colorful box comes factory sealed in clear plastic and measures 6 1/4 inches tall, 3 1/2 inches across and 2 3/4 inches deep. Found inside the box are 50 regular-sized cards and an oversized commemorative card, which measures 5 x 3 1/2 inches. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Cards are printed on premium medium-weight stock and have a semi-gloss finish <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">applied to</span> both sides. There's no foil to be found on the cards, which many collectors consider a positive trait at this point. Of the 50 regular-sized cards in the box, 40 are dubbed by Upper Deck as regular season player cards, five are regular season highlight cards, four are post season memorable moments cards, and one is a Super Bowl MVP card (Eli Manning). The oversized commemorative card, which features happy Giants Rueben Droughns, Eli Manning and David Tyree, comes sealed in a plastic sleeve that is tucked in a cardboard pouch inside the box.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20u7OwsdLwxJ-Q6wiGi34Tg6mFOz6LYDhkd9oFWQL6Rt7WshuOrBW3HrZQsrnc7H2ALHUa_neHj5i-dtrNV6n_sSTRtgOT91KJum9lSpLYwV2PifAl7N7daz7roV7QCZxS2vw_0LHff0/s1600/08sbcard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20u7OwsdLwxJ-Q6wiGi34Tg6mFOz6LYDhkd9oFWQL6Rt7WshuOrBW3HrZQsrnc7H2ALHUa_neHj5i-dtrNV6n_sSTRtgOT91KJum9lSpLYwV2PifAl7N7daz7roV7QCZxS2vw_0LHff0/s320/08sbcard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Nationally-issued football sets rarely include more than a dozen or so players from any given team, meaning most of the unheralded vets and fringe players in the league are usually snubbed on cardboard. This boxed set, with <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">it's</span> roster of 40 different players, ensures that most of the Giants who had a hand in capturing the Lombardi Trophy are represented. Offensive tackle David Diehl, nose tackle Barry Cofield, linebacker Reggie Torbor and fullback Madison Hedgecock are four examples of players who received little to no recognition in mainstream sets after their rookie seasons. Of course all of the Giants stars and starters are also included in the 40-card set, including Eli Manning, Jeremy Shockey and Michael Strahan.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbkU5lGnlKUgkrYIWtg3HiHU8CH78IR84iilW_Jcl4-SgAXplWh-J-6i4mb5UjxGLqwkMo7D1KAAuqHZXGiU7YfTbUy3TXKievmpWZQbR5xjA7a2GV_X4QH59TbuEnXMS75pu3FcdYbk/s1600/08nyg006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbkU5lGnlKUgkrYIWtg3HiHU8CH78IR84iilW_Jcl4-SgAXplWh-J-6i4mb5UjxGLqwkMo7D1KAAuqHZXGiU7YfTbUy3TXKievmpWZQbR5xjA7a2GV_X4QH59TbuEnXMS75pu3FcdYbk/s320/08nyg006.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The final ten regular-sized cards feature the three subsets mentioned above; five regular season highlight cards, four post season memorable moments cards and an Eli MVP card. Each of the three subsets features a different design on both the fronts and backs. Of all the five different card designs found inside the box, my personal favorite is the swooping, oval design of the five season highlight cards. While all the designs found here may be a bit cluttered and too graphics-heavy for a regular card issue, a pass can be given when these kinds of designs are found on oddball issues (a pass in my mind, anyway). All the cards in this boxed set are numbered on the backs, as detailed in the checklist below.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>All in all, Upper Deck created a nice box o' fun that effectively recaps the Giants' Super Bowl run during the 2007 season. The action photography is world class, and I noticed that the highlight cards feature photos from the actual games where the highlights occurred. Eli collectors definitely need to add a set to the archives, as he's the subject of three different cards. Plaxico and Tyree also capture three cards, while Strahan gets two. Unlike the fateful 1990 ProSet Super Bowl cards of yesterday, which were printed during the height of the junk wax era of overproduction, these Giants cards can't be found next to every anthill. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Today's price will cost you about the same as when it was issued, in the $8 to $12 range.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Regular Season Player Cards</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>1. Eli Manning, QB</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>2. R.W. McQuarters, CB</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>3. Antonio Pierce, LB</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>4. David Diehl, T</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>5. Corey Webster, CB</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>6. Shaun O'Hara, C</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>7. Barry Cofield, NT</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>8. Kevin Boss, TE</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>9. Reggie Torbor, LB</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>10. Sam Madison, CB</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>11. Jeff Feagles, P</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>12. Madison Hedgecock, FB</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>13. David Tyree, WR</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>14. Grey Ruegamer, G</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>15. Gerris Wilkinson, LB</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>16. Rueben Droughns, RB</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>17. Domenik Hixon, WR</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>18. Kawika Mitchell, LB</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>19. Ahmad Bradshaw, RB</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>20. Jeremy Shockey, TE</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>21. Justin Tuck, DE</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>22. Amani Toomer, WR</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>23. Fred Robbins, DT</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>24. James Butler, SS</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>25. Brandon Jacobs, RB</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>26. Osi Umenyiora, DE</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>27. Aaron Ross, CB</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>28. Derrick Ward, RB</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>29. Chris Snee, G</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>30. Michael Strahan, DE</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>31. Gibril Wilson, FS</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>32. Sinorce Moss, WR</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>33. Lawrence Tynes, K</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>34. Jay Alford, NT</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>35. Kareem McKenzie, T</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>36. Zak DeOssie, LB</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>37. Kevin Dockery, CB</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>38. Rich Seubert, G</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>39. Michael Johnson, S</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>40. Plaxico Burress, WR</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Regular Season Highlight Cards</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>SH1. Osi Umenyiora</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>SH2. Michael Strahan</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>SH3. Derrick Ward</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>SH4. Plaxico Burress</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>SH5. Brandon Jacobs</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Post Season Memorable Moments Cards</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>MM1. R.W. McQuarters</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>MM2. Lawrence Tynes</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>MM3. David Tyree</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>MM4. Plaxico Burress</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Oversized Commemorative Card</b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>NYG -1 (Rueben Droughns, Eli Manning, David Tyree)</i></span></span></b></span></div>
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Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1601288284583281350.post-53247492471122248122016-03-22T20:48:00.000-07:002016-10-10T23:10:12.374-07:001987 Fleer Baseball's Hottest Stars Set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX4T_JbTDC05h4K7KMfN8wA6UHbKKnSc0r0ZXDKEvIo7o9ihQDJ5hEtr-HBZKAGpjk6XNqRGabVnOrU_SbedoceVHlTedHYa4eMwDsqWMupDJ591OOFuT5o93nLbCU5-7xo_xxM5S1SaA/s1600/1987fhs.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX4T_JbTDC05h4K7KMfN8wA6UHbKKnSc0r0ZXDKEvIo7o9ihQDJ5hEtr-HBZKAGpjk6XNqRGabVnOrU_SbedoceVHlTedHYa4eMwDsqWMupDJ591OOFuT5o93nLbCU5-7xo_xxM5S1SaA/s320/1987fhs.gif" width="229" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Anyone who collects baseball cards from the 1980s to early '90s is familiar with the fabled "boxed set." In a nutshell, these are small baseball sets that were produced by Topps or Fleer to be sold by specific retail chains. A colorful point-of-purchase display case would typically house 24 sets, with each set being cello-wrapped in an equally colorful cardboard box. Topps boxed sets typically contained 33 cards and a stick of gum, while Fleer boxed sets typically contained 44 cards and several stickers. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Sets of this nature were always named with a theme; "Memorable Moments", "Stars of the Decades", "All-Time Home Run Kings" and "Baseball Rookies" were some of the topics chosen for boxed sets. Thanks to the internet, it seems that no sets from this genre are difficult to find today. Though none of these boxed beauties are scarce, some are sought more by collectors than others... In particular, sets featur<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ing</span> rookie players that went on to have superstar careers are the ones with the most demand.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMz34F6Ng4R_3jlPr_6ph7q1di40kb-cEzJsKjts-SwUvlwFRpZ2GlFirkB2hBK7uWjXKziUVk8cPlCcAQkRBBZVA2oHF1OwAupwtMzrXqNvUmuQO13EWW_USaoJglWBxsbvAq4Ypazfk/s1600/1987bhsbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMz34F6Ng4R_3jlPr_6ph7q1di40kb-cEzJsKjts-SwUvlwFRpZ2GlFirkB2hBK7uWjXKziUVk8cPlCcAQkRBBZVA2oHF1OwAupwtMzrXqNvUmuQO13EWW_USaoJglWBxsbvAq4Ypazfk/s320/1987bhsbox.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The most popular (and valuable) retail-chain boxed set today is the 1987 Fleer Baseball's Hottest Stars set. This 44-card issue was created exclusively for Revco Drug Stores, which was a large chain found mostly east of the Mississippi River. In typical fashion, this Fleer set features 44 cards, six baseball logo stickers, and comes sealed in a colorful retail box. A checklist of the players in the set appears right on the back of the box, which undoubtedly enticed Jose Canseco and Don Mattingly collectors of the day to grab a set or two.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Many of Baseball's hottest stars were indeed included in the set, including Hall of Fame <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">standouts</span> Mike Schmidt, Andre Dawson (NL MVP in 1987), George Brett and Rickey Henderson. Pete Rose even makes an appearance as first baseman/manager of the Reds. On the other hand, the inclusion of several players is questionable; Orioles outfielder Larry Sheets and Padres pitcher Eric Show are examples that were solid but average players. Numerous others were hometown favorites at best. But good, bad and ugly aside, there's one player in particular that makes this set the crown jewel of the entire boxed set genre... </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Pirates rookie Barry Bonds.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoI8rTj-8mZA3HVPodkRsf-ZnQuJpYvvwukU-EV3zlsF1Xp0UhVNbY3oT8Dt_2_dchnK_zg73Kuei2QMvw2ub80cF2LmaEPoNuMELTsF0g0yaQqbhky9yTIUBgdpY9FGTS49XNZONLeH0/s1600/87joyner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoI8rTj-8mZA3HVPodkRsf-ZnQuJpYvvwukU-EV3zlsF1Xp0UhVNbY3oT8Dt_2_dchnK_zg73Kuei2QMvw2ub80cF2LmaEPoNuMELTsF0g0yaQqbhky9yTIUBgdpY9FGTS49XNZONLeH0/s320/87joyner.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Fleer actually cheated a bit on their title of "Baseball's Hottest Stars," and added several promising rookies to the set. As always, several of these youngsters went on to have mediocre careers at best, while others achieved all-star status. Players featured in the set during their rookie-card year included Blue Jays pitcher Mark Eichhorn, Rangers outfielder Pete Incaviglia, Phillies pitcher Bruce Ruffin, Indians outfielder Cory Snyder, Dodgers outfielder Reggie Williams and Cardinals Pitcher Todd Worrell. Also featured during his rookie card year is Angels first baseman Wally Joyner, though Fleer got a jump on him the year before in their <a href="http://oddballcardcollector.blogspot.com/2015/09/1986-fleer-baseballs-best-boxed-set.html" target="_blank">1986 Baseball's Best</a> boxed set.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Without a doubt, the aforementioned Barry Bonds would go on to become the most popular and collected player in the set. During the 2000-2005 MLB seasons, years after collectors had lost interest in most other boxed sets, the '87 Baseball's Hottest Stars set was selling in the $40 to $50 range. Today, the price has cooled considerably and the set sells in the $10 to $15 range on Ebay. Even so, this wonderful oddball issue remains the most celebrated set to emerge from a long bygone era of small, colorful, retailer-exclusive baseball card releases.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Random Fact: Revco, the drug store chain that originally sold these sets, was purchased by CVS in 1997. All Revco stores had either closed or were re-branded to CVS by the summer of 1998.</b></span></div>
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<a target="_blank" href="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid=&icep_uq=1987+Fleer+Hottest+Stars+Set&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=213&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg">Click here to hunt for 1987 Fleer Hottest Stars Sets</a><img style="text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;" src="https://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=9&pub=5575223748&toolid=10001&campid=5337956518&customid&uq=1987+Fleer+Hottest+Stars+Set&mpt=%5BCACHEBUSTER%5D">
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>1. Joaquin Andujar, A's</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>2. Harold Baines, White Sox</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>3. Kevin Bass, Astros</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>4. Don Baylor, Red Sox</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>5. Barry Bonds, Pirates</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>6. George Brett, Royals</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>7. Tom Brunansky, Twins</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>8. Brett Butler, Indians</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>9. Jose Canseco, A's</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>10. Roger Clemens, Red Sox</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>11. Ron Darling, Mets</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>12. Eric Davis, Reds</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>13. Andre Dawson, Expos</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>14. Doug DeCinces, Angels</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>15. Leon Durham, Cubs</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>16. Mark Eichhorn, Blue Jays</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>17. Scott Garrelts, Giants</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>18. Dwight Gooden, Mets</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>19. Dave Henderson, Red Sox</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>20. Rickey Henderson, Yankees</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>21. Keith Hernandez, Mets</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>22. Ted Higuera, Brewers</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>23. Bob Horner, Braves</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>24. Pete Incaviglia, Rangers</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>25. Wally Joyner, Angels</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>26. Mark Langston, Mariners</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>27. Don Mattingly, Yankees</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>28. Dale Murphy, Braves</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>29. Kirk McCaskill, Angels</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>30. Willie McGee, Cardinals</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>31. Dave Righetti, Yankees</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>32. Pete Rose, Reds</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>33. Bruce Ruffin, Phillies</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>34. Steve Sax, Dodgers</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>35. Mike Schmidt, Phillies</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>36. Larry Sheets, Orioles</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>37. Eric Show, Padres</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>38. Dave Smith, Astros</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>39. Cory Snyder, Indians</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>40. Frank Tanana, Tigers</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>41. Alan Trammell, Tigers</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>42. Reggie Williams, Dodgers</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>43. Mookie Wilson, Mets</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;"><i>44. Todd Worrell, Cardinals</i></span> </b></span></div>
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Anthony Nunezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242610826264193511noreply@blogger.com4