beckett...

beckett, fix your damn site!!! I'm so sick and tired of hitting reload for 30 minutes before I can see the bs prices you've got listed, and which never get updated, for which to use as a baseline for my cleaning out my big collection

Changes in Practice

So I've done some thinking lately and decided that this whole project of documenting absolutely everything I do in collecting is quite too extensive for how much work I do.  So from now on I'll only be posting Box Breaks of the stuff most of the big guys don't cover with the occasional miscellaneous stuff.

While I've got your attention though, please do take a look at my eBay listings.  I'm trying to make back some of the way-too-much money I've already spent since getting back in the game.   Blog readers get 30% discount on shipping for cards, just request an invoice and mention it in the note.

Spring Break Surprises

I'm off on spring break from university now, and as such had been planning on picking up my old cards from home.  I was expecting to find a few boxes, mostly of 2004 topps (my favorite).  Little did I know that 5 5000-count boxes awaited me.  Inside were some 3000 04 topps, nearly complete 04 topps chrome and 04 finest, tons of 04 playoffs, and zillions from the era of overproduction.  There were some two hundred GU cards, not to mention all the parallels and autos from chrome.  I plan on going through all the tons of randoms and 86-91s and selling them all off.  The 2004 playoff sets aren't entirely complete, but I'd like to work on them, however I can't find boxes of them anywhere on the net (if you know of a place selling them please let me know). 

I know I'm way behind in box breaks and pc updates, but have been dealing with midterms stuff for the last couple weeks.  Should be a few breaks coming this week.  Will link my ebay page also since there will be plenty listed on there over the next couple months

2010 Set Completion Update

Just a little update on the sets I'm collecting this year.  I finished up the base set for 2010 Topps Opening Day pulling #209 Madison Bumgarner with my 2nd to last pack of my 2nd box.  That leaves me with a full base set +90% of a second.  I still needed about half the inserts, but don't feel like it would be worth it on opening a third box, which I can now sell for ~$30 I guess, so I just picked up the remaining inserts on ebay (still need the Philly Phanatic though) and decided on not finished the Topps Town and Topps Attax inserts, cause they just don't mesh with it all to me. 
As far as 2010 Topps Series one goes, I lack on base card #304, after a retail and hobby box.  Should be able to knock that out with the hot packs I'm getting in from ebay.  About half way on most of the inserts, this set won't be getting completed on ebay.  Just broke my first box of heritage ever; look forward to a box break review some time in the next week.  I'm also working on 2004 Topps Chrome Series 2 (best set ever IMHO), Panini Prestige, and others.  Those will be future projects however. 

If anyone's interested in a box of 2010 Opening Day let me know.

Box Break: 2009/10 Panini Basketball

This is the first year for the NBA's exlusivity deal with Panini, a company which is best known for their sticker albums.  They're very well know over in Europe, especially for their football (soccer) sets.  Panini was a strange choice to most of us, but surely the NBA knew what it was doing.  This is the first NBA set released by Panini in 2009 for the current season and as such is the most basic of all their releases surely.  I acquired this box from Dave & Adams Card World for $43.00.  My local boy, Blake Griffin, is on the box so I just couldn't resist.  The box consists of 36 packs at 12 cards/pack.  There are no insertion ratios I can find on the internets, or even on the packs, about this set.

Gum

Why is it, as I'm sitting here sorting through other cards, that I keep opening packs of Heritage just for the gum?  Its so gross and hard, but its keeping my attention.

Busy busy

No updates today. Two essays on Kinetic Energy Interceptors and a paper on the Cold War. Look forward to a box break of 2009-10 Panini basketball


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The True Rookie

Lastings Milledge's true rookie card: Issued by Upper Deck in 2003, a year before any other of his cards would appear.  The image is of Lastings in his 1st round draftee attire (12th overall).  The back claims that he "may be roaming the outfield sooner than later at Shea Stadium." "He is bound to develop quickly."  We all know how that panned out, thusfar.  Injury plauged much?

 

2003 Upper Deck Prospect Premieres #43 

Lastings Milledge RC

Box Break: 2010 Topps Opening Day

Opening Day for the baseball season isn't even on the horizon, but Topps has gone ahead with their release commemorating the event anyway.  At $0.99 per pack, this is the best value for any novice collector.  I acquired a 36 pack, 7 cards per, from Amazon for $29.99.  I believe the 36 count box is the only one which has been produced, so no Hobby vs. Retail here.  The set consists mostly of cards which you'll find reside in the 2010 Topps base set, though in Opening Day often have a different number. 

Eighty eight miles per hour

Just finished a midterm on Self & Identity and have got one tomorrow in Roman civilization so the next few days posts may be a little scarce. However I may squeeze in time for a blaster box break later today. Still need to do my break of the 2010 opening day I busted the other day...


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A Refractor By No Other Name

Everything about this card is so pleasing to my eyes.  Turkey Reds always are to me though.  This was one of the last cards produced of Lastings in a Mets uniform, thank god, before we'd see him move on to Washington and then Pittsburgh.  Its an on-card autograph and claims to be a refractor on the back of the card, where it tells me I've recieved an authentic Autograph card of Lastings Milledge from 2007 Topps Turkey Red Basball.  Couldn't have gathered that from the front I guess...  While the back lists the card as a refractor, the Topps official name for the set is Chromographs (strange bit of word play there.  This particular set, the D group, was a 1:177 hobby packs pull from the 2007 Turkey Red Set.  It books for $15 but I picked it up the other day on the bay for just $7.

 

2007 Turkey Red Chromographs #LM

Lastings Milledge 

Box Break: 2010 Topps

There are many reviews out on 2010 Topps Series One and have been for weeks, but as I just busted my first yesterday, I'll share my experience with you all.  I purchased a retail box (24 packs / 12 cards per) from Amazon for $39.99.  As I've already gone over some of the base cards I'll leave those out of the scans and just talk about the inserts.  I pulled no relics or autos from this box.

Base Cards: 223/330 (67.5%) No Duplicates
Inserts: 65

Lastings the Floridian

Just got this one in the mail a couple days ago.  For $0.48 from The Dugout Cards I got this pretty unique looking insert from Allen and Ginter's.  The front features an inset portrait of Lastings, which is an exact replica of his base card from the years A&G set, and the Florida flag, which is his home state.  The card is about two and half times thicker than a regular A&G card.  On the back the bio features the story of Lastings leading his team to the Little League World Series in 1997 followed later by a high school state title.  I like this card and the particular design very much. Thoughts?

2008 Topps Allen & Ginter's United States #US9

Lastings Milledge

A Year Too Late

I'm going to step away from the 2004 Topps for at least a post - sort of.  It seems as though Bowman has two rookie cards of Lastings' Milledge: one from 2006 and one from 2005.  However, the 2005 seems to be his true Bowman rookie, as part of the Draft subset.  What's strange is that Lastings was drafted in 2003, only to appear on a card as a draftee two years later.  Even more strange is that the 2006 Bowman is marked as a rookie card, when he'd already been in the league at least two years (he was injured most of his first year).  Regardless, enjoy the shinies.

<- 2005 Bowman Chrome Draft Refractors #154. Lastings' autograph bugs me, its just so ugly, though there are much worse out there. Book price ($6.00) paid ($1.31). Avzen Sports

2006 Bowman Chrome -> Refractors   #211.  Rookie card stamp, but not really a rookie.  Love if someone could explain that to me. Book price ($2.50) paid ($2.00).

Let the Low Ends Keep Pouring In

2004 Topps had a ton of parallels, at least more than I've seen in most base sets.  I'm just beginning to crack the ice when it comes to all the parallels for Lastings' rookie cards.  As a part of a lot for $1.50 which also included two of the 2004 Topps #680 base Lastings' cards I acquired these two relatively cheap gems:

<- 2004 Topps Pristine #138

Numbered 018/999 this card has a glossy, chrome, bumped finish.  #138 is the uncirculated print, with #137 the common, and #139 the rare.  The set has Refractor, Gold Refractor, and 4 Printing Press (1/1) Parallels each.

Pack Tear: Panini 2009-10 Basketball

I needed a storage box for all the cards I plan on giving a good home to, since I'm starting from scratch here at university, so I headed over to the local card shop on the other side of town.  I picked up a 3200 ct / 4 row box and while I was there 2 packs of 2009/10 Panini basketball.  Its got the local boy Blake Griffin on it after all.  While I do have a full box of Panini headed this way sometime in the next week, I couldn't resist the urge.

And the Player Selection is in...

My previous attempts at collecting have all been mismanaged and disorganized.  I would usually buy anything on ebay which caught my eye, whether I particularly liked the player or not.  Of course this was way back in 2003/2004 when memorabilia cards weren't absolutely everywhere and they still meant something special.  However, this time I've decided that, since I don't really have a home team (other than the Thunder), I will adopt a player new to the league some time in the last 8 years.  The player I decided on was Lastings Milledge.  Since I haven't even really watched a baseball game in ages it was really just a shot in the dark.  My goal, initially, will be to collect all of his rookie cards (of which Beckett says there are only 10).  However, I'm going to do my most earnest to actually acquire all the parallels to his rookies as well.  That puts the total to somewhere around 50, not including the 1/1s.  Many of these are hefty buys - the Topps base refractor goes for upwards of $50 in most places - but I will try to pace myself in building the collection.  The total number of cards containing Lastings as of today is 655, so I've got a hill to climb but its not nearly as steep as most.  Whether or not his cards become even more valuable, or he flops as a professional doesn't really matter for me.  I'm in it for the collecting, and of course the spreadsheet upkeep.

The complete rookie set can be viewed in my Beckett collection.

To start things off, we'll just go ahead with the most common card of Lastings out there.  I very much like this card.  There are a myriad of colors to choose from, the grass and dirt are well definied, and the cards showing his typical robot arm.  Of course, it doesn't hurt that its from the set that IMO is the best base design of the last fifteen years.

2004 Topps #680

Lastings Milledge RC DP FY

The Windup Prior to the Delivery: 2010 Topps Baseball Rack Pack

My impatience grew pretty heavy after I had ordered my first box of Topps 2010 Baseball so I got on over to Wal-Mart on Saturday for a little gift to myself. My purchase were two rack packs at $4.99/each. At 36 cards per pack they are a pretty good value at only $0.13 per card, about the same cost per card as a retail box from Dave and Adam's Card World though with a much lower hit rate than a hobby box/pack has. I didn't manage to get any million card codes, relics, autos, or parallels out of either pack (strange to me), but I did pull a good number of inserts.  I'm not going to put pictures up for all the cards I pulled, but only highlight a few, so that the full review can be saved for the box break coming soon.


Of the base cards I pulled there were four which really stood out to me:

 

The obligatory #7 Mickey Mantle is gorgeous, the #117 David Dejesus is perplexing in how he's positioned himself, the #97 Luis Durango I like how he's reaching for the base, but we can't see it (though a horizontal card here may have provided a better overall image), and the #1 Prince Fielder is both hilarious and breath-taking at the same time (definitely a once in a lifetime sorta moment there).

The Beginnings

I've recently gotten back into the hobby of collecting sports cards (and by recently I mean over the last two weeks), after a six year hiatus. I'm towards the last year of university and have grown bored with video games and drinking to excess. My plans with this blog are to provide regular box breaks and highlights (text and pics only) and the occasional insight on the industry. This will be my first, hopefully successful, set build; I've tried a few times when I collected in the past, but lacked the necessary funds, time, & want to do so. My first set to focus on will be 2010 Topps baseball, at the same time I'll be starting on Opening Day and Heritage. While these will be my main focus, I've got hundreds of dollars worth of boxes en route to my place right. The boxes bits and pieces of everything and I plan on breaking everyone for the readers.