Red Sox Collection - 2011 Topps Black Adrian Gonzalez

Haven't had much time for anything this week, and certainly not for a post that requires more than 5 minutes worth of time. So, in lieu of a long post with many scans I'm just going to post a card that's been sitting in draft format for a couple of months anyway. It's as good a time as any to post it, given the subject's absolute demolition of Texas Rangers' pitchers the last couple of days.

2011 Topps - #425 - Adrian Gonzalez (Black Parallel #'d/60)

Throughout the season I've been trying to add some unique Gonzalez cards to my Red Sox collection. His 2011 Allen & Ginter auto may not be in my price range, but there are still some nice cards to be found at a decent price. The 2011 Topps base set is my favorite out of the 5 released since I got back into collecting, and these black parallels look really nice. This card is somewhat scarce being numbered to just 60, yet still affordable at just $6.50 ($9 if you include shipping).

Heading into tonight's action in Arlington, Adrian's on the verge of the 100 RBI mark, to go along with a .347 batting average, 21 home runs and 38 doubles. MVP?

COMC Hobby Box - Paul McCartney and the 1970's

Here are packs 19 and 20 from my COMC box:

Pack 19:

1995 Upper Deck - #448 - Nolan Ryan Final Tribute ($.24)

There were 5 of these Final Tribute cards in the 1995 Upper Deck baseball set, celebrating the careers of Robin Yount, Ryne Sandberg, Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Mike Schmidt. The subset looks just like the base set but with a classy banner listing the years the player was in the league. Best of all since the players depicted had already retired, we have full career stats:

1994-95 Parkhurst Missing Link - #145 - Gordie Howe All-Star ($.27)

Another big card for my Missing Link set. Pretty interesting offer on the back. If I had owned this card in 1994 I think I would've begged my parents to get me the signed Maurice Richard puck:

2005 Upper Deck Past Time Pennants - #31 - Fred Lynn ($.25)

Another member of the '75 Red Sox World Series team, what a rookie season he turned in that year!

2011 Allen & Ginter - #AGR-JLO - Jed Lowrie Relic ($2.50)

My third hit and my first (as of right now still only) 2011 Allen & Ginter card. I'm sure it's just me not paying enough attention to detail, but these Ginter relics seem to look basically the same year after year. I guess, as the saying goes, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

1964 Topps Beatles Color - #8 - Paul McCartney ($1.00)

One of the more interesting odd-ball cards in my box. This is from a 64-card color set released by Topps in 1964. The Beatles were one of the first bands I remember really getting into when I was younger, in fact I can still recall getting the Beatles Anthology II for my birthday back in middle school. I guess these can be had for a pretty decent price given that this one is in good shape and cost just a buck, I might have to try completing this set some day.


Mini:

1986 Fleer Mini - #103 - Robin Yount ($.24)

1986 was Yount's first season as the Brewers regular center fielder, after injuries forced him out of the infield.


Insert:

2010 Bowman - #BT55 - Jon Lester (1992 Bowman Throwback) ($.22)

If you're counting this is the 5th Red Sox 2010 Bowman Throwback in my lot. Getting close to a team set here.


Pack 20:

1974-75 Topps - #241 - Dave Burrows ($.16)

One of the better defensive-minded defensemen of his era. If there was a guy you wanted pitted against your opponent's top scorer, Dave was it.

1992 Topps - #555 - Frank Thomas ($.22)

A great card that I have seen countless times. The 1992 Topps backs are awesome, with panoramic views of the home stadiums at the bottom:

1974-75 Topps - #61 - Jim Lorentz ($.26)

Won a Cup with the 1970 Bruins team. Better known within the Sabres organization, where he served as a broadcaster for over 25 years after his playing days were done.

2011 Gypsy Queen - #74 - Tom Seaver (Framed Paper #'d/999) ($.80)

1959 Topps - #248 - Boston Red Sox Checklist ($2.19)

This '59 Topps Red Sox checklist is in great condition considering it cost just a couple bucks. Great centering, good corners, crease-free and best of all unmarked:

1975 Topps Mini - #213 - Oscar Gamble ($.40)

Is there a better 1975 card than this one? I find it hard to believe there could be.


Insert:

2001 Upper Deck Decade 1970's - #DE6 - Tom Seaver (Disco Era Dandies) ($.20)

I only have a handful of cards from this set, but this insert certainly screams 1970's! I couldn't think of a better card to pair up with the '75 Gamble mini, very fitting.


Only four packs left to go, two more posts and I'm done with this project.

Pack 19: $4.72
Pack 20: $4.23
Running Total: $63.08

Coming up next in packs 21 and 22 we have a surprise 4th hit, an X-Fractor and The Fonz!

Approaching 2011 Topps Lineage

I figured I'd give you a break from the COMC hobby box for a day here and post about something else, 2011 Topps Lineage baseball. I think everyone's probably read dozens if not hundreds of posts about this recently released product, so I'll keep this brief.

Like many collectors I was enthused about this set before it came out. It seemed like it would have everything I look for in a good baseball set. A mix of current and retired stars and Hall-of-Famers. A chance to see today's stars on awesome designs of the past like the 1975 Topps mini cards. A nice small base set with no short prints (I think?), and a decent price point. More than anything, as the set name suggests, a chance for Topps to pay homage to it's storied past.

Unfortunately I think we can all agree that this set was a bomb. The base cards are underwhelming at best. The backs are atrocious, probably the worst I have seen since I started collecting again a few years ago. Even worse, they put those same horrible backs on the '75 Mini inserts, instead of recreating a back true to the original '75 set. I won't be buying a box, or even any packs.

Even poorly made sets usually do something right though. I'm interested in checking out the 3D cards based off of the impossible to find or afford 1968 set, as well as the stand-up inserts. Most of all though, I was intrigued by the Reprint Autos. 76 old-time players (according to Baseball Card Pedia) signed reprints of their Topps cards from the past, nearly all of them 1952 Topps. By my count there are 5 Red Sox in the set. Here are the first two, which arrived lightning fast after I won them on eBay:

Thankfully, Topps stayed true to the original design (for the most part) with these cards. The fronts are an exact copy of the '52 cards, with a nice blue hard-signed auto replacing the facsimile auto from the original. They did add a small Topps logo but I'm willing to forgive that. Topps gave collectors the original backs with these, rather than something that looks like it came from a child's board game:

Don didn't have the longest MLB career, but I would imagine is fondly remembered by Orioles fans as a member of the inaugural 1954 club. As a Red Sox fan this card is great, not only because it's a an on-card auto of a 50's Sox player, but because Lenhardt would serve in the Red Sox organization for nearly 50 years when his playing days were over. During that time he worked as both a scout, and a first base coach (in the early 70's), finally retiring in 2004.

The other card I picked up was Ike Delock. He was a mainstay on the Red Sox pitching staff throughout the 50's and early 60's, making well over 300 career appearances with the team. Coincidentally, Delock also played for the Orioles, finishing the final season of his career there in 1963.

So, there you have it. These are really nice looking cards, there's something cool about having an on-card auto of a player who was in the original 1952 Topps set. If you're a team collector and your team was around in 1952, I definitely suggest looking at the checklist to see who's included. If you're unsure on any, just do what I did, search eBay for the player's 1952 Topps card. These are a great addition to a collection and the lesser known players like these two can be had pretty cheap. I paid $30.81 for both of these, and that's including shipping.

I have a couple more Lineage cards to show off as soon as they arrive in the mail.

COMC Hobby Box - A Freakin' Double?!?!

Here are packs 17 and 18 from my Check Out My Cards hobby box.

Pack 17:

1973-74 Topps - #160 - Syl Apps ($.36)

Absolutely awesome in-game shot of Syl chasing after a stray puck from a face-off. I wish all the 73-74 Topps/O-Pee-Chee cards had photos like this one.

2008 Stadium Club - #63 - Kevin Youkilis (First Day Issue) ($.19)

Believe it or not I got a double in my own COMC hobby box! When the shipment arrived from COMC and I started scanning I had a recollection of already having this card for some reason. Turns out I received it in a package over a year and a half ago. The worst part is I had this cataloged and organized, put away right where it should be. I have no idea why I picked it up without bothering to check on whether I already had it. Getting a double in a box of cards you picked out yourself, pretty sad...I'm surprised that this was the only mess-up out of 169 cards. Can't complain about that "collation" I guess.

1993-94 Action Packed - #BH1 - Bobby Hull Prototype ($.50)

I was a sucker for Action Packed's embossed cards back in the day. They made precious few hockey cards, I think just a few promos like this one in the mid-90's. I know there is at least one other, this same Hull card but with the entire card covered in gold foil.

1985 Topps - #278 - Darryl Strawberry ($.25)

For some reason 1985 Topps is the one 80's Topps set that I just don't have a whole lot of. If you had told me as a kid that I could have this card for a quarter I think my head would've exploded.

1992 Mother's Cookies Nolan Ryan 7 No-Hitters - #7 ($.35)

Getting close to wrapping this set up. This is the 7th of 8 cards. I really need to start a Nolan Ryan binder one of these days to sit alongside my Will Clark one. This might be Ryan's most impressive no-hitter. 16 strikeouts and just 2 walks, and done at age 41!!!


Mini:

2007 Allen & Ginter Mini - #39 - Brooklyn Bridge ($.10)

Not going to lie, I picked this one up solely based on the fact that it cost a dime.


Insert:

1992-93 Upper Deck Gordie Howe Heroes - #24 ($.25)

Yes another Howe Heroes card, and not the most exciting card by any means. Only one more of these in the break, I promise.


Pack 18:

1995 Upper Deck - #100 - Ken Griffey Jr. ($.20)

I'm guessing based on the crowd sitting around in the background and the fact that Jr. is wearing a hat rather than a helmet that this shot is from a Home Run Derby possibly? Can anyone confirm?

1974-75 Topps - #244 - Phil Esposito Hart Trophy ($.43)

Now at 38 cards and counting left to go in this set. As a Bruins fan I couldn't pass on this one for the price, regardless of whether I'm chasing the set or not. I love how the back states that the Hart Trophy winner also gets a check for $1,500. As you can see the B's OWNED the Hart trophy in the era when this card came out:

1982 Topps - #168 - '81 Leading Relievers - Bruce Sutter & Rollie Fingers ($.21)

Honestly, can you think of a card featuring better facial hair from two different Hall-of-Famers? I challenge you to come up with one. This card filled a nice empty slot in my '82 Topps binder as well.

2009-10 Upper Deck Champ's - #37 - Nicklas Lidstrom ($.25)

The Stamkos from earlier in these posts brought me to within 2 cards of completing this 100 card short set, and with this Lidstrom I'm now just a single card away. If anyone has #71, Brian Leetch, please let me know!

2011 Gypsy Queen - #36 - Vladimir Guerrero (Framed Green) ($.63)

Yet another GQ parallel...


Mini:

2008 Allen & Ginter A & G Back Mini - #176 - Claude Monet ($.19)

What can I say, I guess I'm on a French kick lately after my first ever trip to the country back in May/June...


Insert:

1995 Sportflix UC3 - #CS 10 - Will Clark Cyclone Squad ($.22)

Trust me, this looks way better in hand than it does in the scan. Although cheesy, I loved the UC3 set back in the day. You can find hobby boxes dirt cheap, I very well may bite the bullet one day and go for it.


Pack 17: $2.00
Pack 18: $2.13
Running Total: $54.13

Coming up in packs 19 and 20 we'll see my third hit, a rock legend, and a Tom Seaver hot pack!