Oddball Mini Card to Make Derek Drool

For weeks (maybe months), I've been telling Derek of Tomahawk Chopping that I have a Martin Prado mini card that he can't have* but I keep forgetting to make a scan of it for him to drool over.

Why would I be so mean and tease him?  Why would I possibly want to keep a Martin Prado mini card from a Martin Prado collector?


Because the Prado mini is actually one-third of a "three-card mini strip" blank back Topps 2010 T206 card that the Topps Vault produced last year.  The other two-thirds of the card are made up of some Millwood guy from Baltimore and Luke Hochevar.

The card is longer than a traditional sized card.  I'd estimate that it was the size of three mini-cards placed side-by-side.  There are no perforations in the card, it's just one solid piece of cardboard.

Sadly, none of the "three-card mini strips" were not numbered 1/1 by the Topps Vault people, so the back is almost completely blank (which is why I scanned it with a colorful background).

If anything, this seems like more of a true one-of-one collectable item than any of the other blank back cards I own.  When I think of one of a kind card gimmicks, this kind of card seems like a no brainer.  I would imagine that they did not label it 1/1 because it did not come in the sealed Topps Vault case that the others did because of its size.  Therefore, a handwritten "1/1" label wouldn't be as believable because anyone could have written it.  I imagine it's a CYA move on Topps' part.

Also, I have no idea why these three guys were put together on this card.  They don't seem to have any connection to each other.  In the set, Prado is card #43, Hochevar is #70, and Millwood is #102, so it's not like they are next to each other in the set. 

Regardless, I'm glad to own it.

*If I'm going to be honest, if Derek were to make me an offer for this card that I couldn't refuse, I certainly wouldn't refuse it. 

Fave Five -- 1/1 cards

One of the aspects of the modern hobby that did not exist when I was a kid is the advent of the 1/1 parallel. 

Here are my Fave Five.

FIVE -- Blank Back Cards

I bought these two blank back cards from the Topps Vault eBay store last year.  They are fairly gimmicky, but I'm a sucker for any card variation for my player collections.

The backs of the cards are blank, save for a Topps hologram sticker and a hand written 1/1, hence the "blank back card" moniker.

FOUR -- Printing Plates

Some people dispute the 1/1-ness of printing plates.  The dispute comes from the fact that there are usually four different colors of ink used in the printing process, therefore there are four colors of printing plates.  Some people use this fact to say that a printing plate is actually a 1/4 parallel.  Either way, I like them.  Here are a handful of the printing plates I own.  I only included the cards that say "One-of-one" or "1/1", rather than the "one of a kind collectable" that adorns the backs of recent Topps printing plates.  I did this because it seems to me to be a cop-out on Topps' part.  They are playing to the printing-plates-aren't-1/1-cards crowd.   
Just the same, here are some of my printing plates.

Ryan G of This Card is Cool pointed out today that the non-negative images on printing plates is probably due to the offset printing method of card printing.  I always assumed that the printing plates should be a mirror image to the card they printed, similar to a rubber stamp or the bottom two printing plates.  It would seem that the bottom two plates were not from an offset printing shop.  Consider me baffled.

THREE -- Topps Umbrella

The lone non-Hochevar 1/1 card in my collection is this Dexter Fowler 2010 National Chicle Umbrella logo parallel.  I love the simplicity of the card.

TWO -- White Whale

When I began my Hochevar collection last year, this card was one of the first card I bought.  It was my first 1/1, my first autograph card, and my first jersey card.  I'm actually very happy I stumbled into it when I did because it definitely fueled my hunger to track down every Hochevar card produced.  It's kind of crazy that one of the first casts of my card-fishing lines hooked the proverbial white whale.

This card is technically a printing plate, so I still need the other three colors to complete the set.  But I don't see that happening anytime soon.

This card is one of those weird cases where the first card of this series that I owned was the 1/1.  I've been slowly working my way up the 2009 Triple Threads parallel ladder, adding the /10, /50, and /75 variations to my collection.  I still need a /99 card, as well as two other parallels, the numbers of which I can't find online at the moment.

ONE -- Platinum

Putting this card in the number one spot was a no brainer for me.  It is easily the crown jewel of my Hochevar collection.  The story of how I came to own this card can be found HERE.

This card is a beauty and it will take a very special card to knock it off the top spot in my Fave Five 1/1 Card list.

This May be a Silly Question, but.....

I've had some good luck with getting feedback online lately.  For instance, the other day on Twitter I asked what the term "HTA" meant with regard to boxes of cards.  Turns out it means "Home Team Advantage".  I'd seen the term used often but had never known what it meant.

A couple of people answered my question and didn't give me grief about my ignorance, so I figure why not ask another question that has been on my mind.

For people who review boxes of newly release products, how do you go about getting the boxes from the companies?  Did you contact them?  Did they contact you?  Do you request certain products or do you just review what is sent to you?  Are there certain stipulations they ask of you, such as whether or not you can sell the cards or whether you have to put their logo on your blog sidebar?

I'm not particularly looking to do such reveiws (although I certainly wouldn't turn down the offer should someone from Topps or Panini or Upperdeck be reading this), I've just always wondered how people get the "hook-up" so to speak.

Feel free to email me the answer to this question if you don't feel comfortable letting the world know your secret in the comments section.  And I won't publish your email unless you give me permission to do so.

And stay tuned for more silly questions as they pop into my head.

A House Warming Gift from Hiflew

Avid Rockies collector Hiflew of Cards from the Quarry sent me a house warming package in the mail and it was quite the doozy. 

I love receiving packages from Hiflew because he usually includes a pile of his Rockies duplicates.  My Rockies collection has easily doubled thanks to his generosity.  This package was no exception.  He sent me a 200-count box full of cards and probably half of them were Rockies cards.  Here are some of the highlights.

There were some seriously sweet Rockies cards that I was more than happy to add to my Rockies binder.

And, as usual, he touched on many more of my personal collections, including some Royals,

some fantastic early-90s Broncos,

and, most unexpectedly, a manupatch letter that I'll add to my Alphabet Set.

Finally, there were a handful of mustache cards that I'll be adding to my Mustache Set, including one of the bushiest soup strainers that I've encountered.

Thanks again to Hiflew for the fantastic care package!  It's guys like you that make the card collecting community a great place.

An Elusive Autograph

I've been actively tracking down Luke Hochevar cards for almost exactly one year. 

And it has taken almost exactly one year for me to finally add a 2007 Bowman Chrome Prospects #BC230 Autograph card to my collection.

The funny thing (to me) is that this is probably the fifth time that I got the serial numbered version of a card (in this case, an XFractor) before I got the base version.

Serial numbered 10/225, the card was listed as an auction with a starting bid of $10.00 (+ S/H).  I ended up being the only person to bid on it, which was a little surprising to me because I've seen the base and refractor versions of this card sell for around ten dollars fairly regularly.  But someone else's loss is my gain.

It took a year, but I'm glad to finally own one of Hoch's on-card autographs.  Hopefully the other variations of this card (Base, Refractor, Blue, Gold, and Orange) won't take me as long to track down.

Answer Some Questions, Win Some Cards

Head on over to The Chronicles of Fuji for a chance to win a pile of cards. 

There are numerous ways to gain entry into the contest: be a follower of the fine blog, leave a comment on one/all of his daily questions, and/or plug the contest on your blog.

And, even if you don't win, Fuji has agreed to send one of his world famous calling-cards (seen above) as consolation prizes.  He'll even sign it for you.  As a proud owner of one of these cards, it is a great addition to every collection.

Head on over and start earning entries!

More Cards I'm Hoping Not To Have To Buy

I mentioned the other day how happy I was to have received the Dexter Fowler Gypsy Queen card via trade rather than having to buy it or find it in a pack.

Similarly, I'm hoping to pick up the Hochevar and Fowler 2011 Topps Series 2 base and gold cards through a trade or two so that I can save my money to buy the more difficult to find parallels.  Which is not to say that I wouldn't trade for the rarer parallels if anyone who reads this happens to find them.  I most definitely would.  I'm just not expecting that to happen.

Obviously images were borrowed, as I wouldn't ask people to trade these to me if I already owned them. That would be silly.

So, if anyone stumbles upon these four cards while ripping 2011 Series 2, let me know and let's work out a trade.

Also, while I'm thinking of it, I've seen two people list a "Sparkle" version of the Fowler card on eBay, but from the pictures they used in the item description, I can't seem to find the sparkle that (apparently) makes the card so very valuable.  I also haven't found Fowler listed as a Sparkler in the couple of unofficial checklists I've looked at online.  Anyone have information about this?  Is there a Fowler Sparkle card?  Or are the eBay sellers fibbing?

UPDATE:  Tomahawk Chopping's Derek has agreed to trade me the base Hochevar card.  Thanks Derek!

UPDATE II:  I just spotted a Hochevar Diamond Anniversary card on the bay.  I wasn't paying attention during Series 1, so are these more/less rare than the other parallels?  Will I be able to trade for it like I hope to with the base and Gold?  Or should I eventually try to buy it?

PSA Time

This week's Public Service Announcement is to let my fellow readers about two EASY contests being held by a couple of guys who are trying to get a larger following for their blogs.

First up is Ryan G from This Card is Cool.  A comment, a link, and/or a follow will each earn an entry into his CONTEST.  Up for grabs?  I'll let Ryan explain:

First prize: I'll look at your want lists and pick up a few things off of it. I don't exactly have a job so I won't be getting you that Derek Jeter autograph you've always wanted but you should be happy!

Second prize: I have a stack of basketball cards that contains mostly rookies. I don't know anything about these guys, so I have no idea if they're worth anything. I think there's a couple numbered cards. There's at least one autograph in the stack. Oh, and a bit of fun. Plus, I'll try to find you something off your want list.

Third prize: Football, similar to the basketball lot but smaller. There is at least one jersey in there. Plus, I'll try to find you something off your want list.

Fourth prize: A small stack of non-sports cards, mostly inserts from Topps and Allen and Ginter. There are three certified autographs in this group. Plus, I'll try to find you something off your want list. 

The second contest, which is equally easy, is one I found out about from Ryan G (not sure it'll earn him an extra entry in the contest, but it might).

New (to me) blog Buckeye State's Trading Post is giving away a pile of autographs and relics to the winner of his CONTEST.  A comment, a link, and/or a blogroll add will each earn an entry into the randomizer.

As you can see, each contest is very easy to enter, but each contest closes next week.

The more you know.

Trade Report: "My Sports and Sports Cards" Hits a P.C. Triple

If you are not currently trading with Jeff from My Sports and Sports Cards you are really missing out.  He has a vast array of trade material and the packages he sends have always been top notch. 

Just this week, Jeff sent me an email letting me know he had shipped a package to me.  A day or two later, I received some great cards that hit upon three of my personal collections.

The card I was probably the most happy to see was this 2011 Gypsy Queen Dexter Fowler card. 

When I would see scans of this card, I thought it was a bit too busy for my taste.  The background seemed to wash out the image of Dexter.  But in hand, it is much more appealing to the eye.  And my wife loves the design of these cards.  Maybe I'll be able to convince her to bust a box of them with me once my self-imposed card-buying fast is over.

Also, I am so glad I got this card in a trade and didn't buy it on eBay.  The more people I meet in via my blog, the more I realize that someone will have plenty of base cards of my players that they'll be more than happy to trade to me if I'm patient enough. 

Jeff also included a good portion of the Royals team set from GQ, as well as a #/299 Billy Butler.  And who woulda thought that, of the guys in the bottom row of this scan, Gordon might be having the best year of the bunch?  (Then again, I could be wrong and Greinke might be killing it after he came back from his injury.  I don't really pay much attention to teams other than the Rocks and Royals -- which woulda been a good blog name.)

And, were it not for my trades with Jeff, my Broncos binder would be weak-sauce right now. 

This time he sent along a serial numbered Elway (my first) and enough modern Donkeys to fill a page.

Thanks again Jeff for some great cards for my personal collection.  I'm working on rounding up a pile of cards to help you with your White Sox collection and should have them in the mail later this week.

Fave Five -- '90s Basketball Subsets from a $20 Box-o-cards

Last week I won two auctions on eBay.  Each auction was selling a USPS medium flat rate box full of cards (seller approximated 2200+ and I'd guess he was right) for $20 with free shipping.  One auction was for basketball cards and the other was for baseball cards.  I decided (and convinced the wife) that I couldn't pass these auctions up without at least making a bid, and I ended up winning both auctions.

I gave each box a once over once they arrived and then settled into the basketball box, which I spent a couple hours sorting last night.  I'll get to the baseball cards later this week.

My first (and maybe last, I haven't decided yet) Fave Five from the box of basketball cards is made up of my favorite 1990s subsets that I found in the box.

Number Five -- 1990 NBA Hoops "Current NBA Coaches Who Were Former NBA Players" 
(Although your price guide may have a different name for this subset than does mine.)

The mixing of vintage pictures and modernish card design is pretty successful with these cards.  And the backs of the cards show what the players look like now in their coaching roles.

Number Four -- 1995 NBA Hoops "Gold Mine"

I love the speckled-gold borders on these cards, they look much better in person than in the scan, which tends to be the case with shiny cards.  However, I could have done without the names being written in unreadable gold font.  And the backs are almost as illegible, especially the card numbers. 

Number Three -- 1994-95 Skybox Premium "Sky Slams," "Sky Shots," "Sky Swats," and "Sky Pilots"

I like how the multiple "Sky _______" monikers allowed the different talents of the different players to be displayed.  And once again Skybox shows that they have perfected the "Keep It Simple Stupid" school of card design.  

Number Two -- 1992-93 Skybox "Team Logos"

These are my favorite Skybox team logo cards so far.  It's a perfectly simple design and I like how they incorporated a player onto each card. 

Number One -- 1993-94 Skybox Premium "Nickname/Moniker/Movie Title Poster-Style Cards"
(Once again, check local listings for preferred subset name in your area.)

These cards are badass.  Period.

My $20 box of 1990s basketball card fun gave me some really good starts on some really cool mostly Skybox sets, which contain some badass subsets (see above). 

I'll be posting up some 1990s Skybox basketball wantlists later this week, so if you have any 1992-1996 Skybox basketball cards collecting dust that you'd like to trade away, let me know. 

Fave Five -- Shaq

Yesterday's announcement (via Twitter no less) of Shaq's retirement prompted me to dig out my basketball cards and select a Fave Five.

At one point in my collecting career, I probably had 30+ Shaq cards.  But, over the years, I've traded away or sold most of them.  I currently have a baker's dozen cards of the big guy and here are my Fave Five.

Fave #5 -- 1993 Upper Deck Collectors Choice (#232)

When I was a kid, I was infatuated with the autopenned signatures that many of the Upper Deck cards had on them.  They were definitely as close as I was ever going to get to having my favorite player's autographs.  And I was always amazed that Shaq had enough strength to get those ginormous feet off the ground.

Fave #4 -- 1992-93 Skybox Series 2 Rookie (#382)

This card is a pretty good representation of the impact Shaq had on the league:  Just stand back and watch.  This is the only rookie card I have left in my collection (I probably only had one or two back in the day) and I pulled it from a box of Series 2 that I opened a few months back.

Fave #3 -- 1993-94 Fleer Ultra Rebound King (9 of 10)

Fleer Ultra parallel sets were always my favorites when I was a kid.  And this card is no exception.  I am fairly certain that I pulled this one from a pack.  

Fave #2 -- 1993-94 Fleer Ultra USA Basketball (#M2)

Not the most flattering pose in the world, but a cool card none-the-less.

Fave #1 -- 1993-94 Topps Stadium Club Frequent Flyers (#358)

The Frequent Flyers mini-set was pretty cool when I was a kid.  I remember when my buddy pulled a Jordan FF card from a pack.  He couldn't have been any happier.  And I felt the same way when I pulled this one.

I always liked Shaq when I was a kid, but he was too hot of a commodity for me to personally collect, so I would use his cards as trade fodder to help me acquire more Stockton cards.  And a few of them have stuck around my collection to this day.

Finally, as you can probably tell from the above cards, my fondest memories of the big fella are from his Orlando Magic days.  Seeing him in other jerseys still looks odd to me.

He is probably the best example for me of a guy who has played on numerous teams, but he'll always be a member of (insert team here) in my mind.  I'd also put Jason Kidd and Grant Hill into this category in my mind.

Do you have any guys who have bounced around from team to team but you only think of them as a member of one team?

Fave Five -- Manupatches

I currently own 32 manupatch cards and my blog has Manupatches in the title, so I figured it would be fitting for my first Fave Five post about cards I actually own to be about Manupatch cards.  Of my 32 manupatches, eight are team logo cards and the rest are autographed letter cards.

Before I show off my Fave Five, let me first show my least favorite manupatch card.

I am one of the most pro-manupatch collectors around and even I shutter when I look at this card.  A sticker autograph (as if that squiggle could actually be classified as an autograph)?  For the reals?  It's as if the designers of this card were trying to cram as many collector annoyances onto one card as humanly possible.  Manupatch, sticker autograph, tiny picture, tiny writing, and odd serial numbering (#'d 05/19).  Check, check, check, check, and check mate!

Luckily for me, all of these factors worked in my favor as I added it to my collection for super cheap.

Now, on to the fun.

Fave Five -- 2008 Razor Letterman Rashun Dixon (#'d 4/5)

This card made the Fave Five because it is, to the best of my knowledge, my lowest numbered manupatch.  (Hey, it's my list so I can use even the dumbest reasons for a card's inclusion.  And believe me, there will be some doozies.)

Fave Four -- 2007 SP Authentic Curtis Thigpen (58/75)

I like the E's blue border.

Fave Three -- 2008 SP Authentic Edwin Encarnacion (32/50)

This is easily the coolest manupatch letter in my collection.  I love the script C.  I love the black shadowing on the C.  I love the stitching on the C.  Even the biggest anti-manupatch collector has to admit this card looks cool.

Fave Two -- 2010 Topps Series 2 David DeJesus Cap Logo (31/99)

I'm a big fan of the 4th of July cap logos.  I mentioned before that I was at the KC Royals 4th of July game that inspired these manupatches, which adds sentimental value to this card for me.

Fave One -- 2009 Topps Finest Dexter Fowler (almost) Nameplate
(128/218, 61/75, 20/218, 50/218, and 22/218 respectively)

I know it's kind of cheating, but I had to include all of these manupatches in the number one spot because they are the reason I began my foray into manupatch collecting. 

My manupatch collection is still in its infancy, but it is one of my favorite collections.  I am enjoying that it is morphing in multiple directions, including my Alphabet Set, my Team Logo sets (both MLB and NBA), and my multiple nameplates.  The possibilities for these sets is almost endless, which is what collecting is all about for me.

So You Think You Can Predict the Future?

Then head over to the Autographed Cards blog and enter the College World Series Contest.  The contest has a couple of different stages.  The first leg of the contest is picking which eight teams will be the first group of teams to play in Omaha's new TD Ameritrade Park in this year's College World Series. 

I decided to try my luck at picking some of the dark horses in the field, including my wife's Creighton University.  Looking at some of the picks being made by others, this strategy will either put me in a commanding lead going into the second round of the contest or will leave me bringing up the rear.  Either way, it's a great idea for a contest.

Head on over and make your selections before this Friday's deadline.