Here we have some Alexander Torres cards from Bowman 2010 above and Bowman Chrome 2009. Can anyone see the problem with these cards? Yes,that's right the 2009 is his first Bowman Chrome card,but so is the 2010 version. My question to Topps is this why do you get it so wrong so often? I'm pretty sure that Torres is not the only one who has more than one version of his first Bowman card. Hardly life changing I know, but still annoying just the same.
First up is the copper or bronze jersey card numbered to 199.
Next is the Winning Trios card numbered to 75. This was a tough card to track down,but a very nice price for me at only $3. Along with Shields we have the under performing B J Upton and the dearly departed Carl Crawford. I'm pretty sure there must be a patch version of this card but I have never come across it.
Next in line is the green version numbered to 175.
Card four is the dual jersey card numbered to 50,again a tough card to track down,but again found at a reasonable price and a welcome addition to the old pc.
The final card is a first for my Shields collection. Yep it's my first multi colored patch card. This little beauty is numbered to 50. I'm sure there are better patch cards out there which are lower numbered,but this will do for now.
Earlier in the year just after the release of Bowman a member on SCF decided to get all of the Topps 100 cards signed in person. By the end of the Milb season he had got at least 30 of the cards signed. A couple of weeks ago he posted that he had moved to Maui and would no longer be able to complete his quest. He began to offer the signed cards for sale, and as luck would have it the first two he offered were Hellickson and Jennings, at $7 for the pair it was too good an offer to turn down. Along with the cards he sent the game ticket at which he got the autos. I feel lucky to have these cards, because the idea he had was an excellent one and he was doing so well in collecting the 100 autos. In his thread about his progress he would tell the readers which players were easy to get to sign and which were not. Anyone looking for Mike Leake to sign may be unlucky as he seems to think he is already a big shot.
We all knew it was coming, we all knew he was going to end up richer than God,Allah and Odin combined. We all knew he was never going to be a Ray again. We all respected what Carl had done for a struggling franchise,his talent had helped turn the Rays from joke to contender. We were all ready to wish him well. Then he signed for the Red Sox!!!! The fkin Red Sox, a bloody division rival. Any team outside the division I would wish Carl all the best. Right now he can kiss my ass.
Above and below are two of the coolest looking cards I have picked up this year. They are walmart black border exclusives from Topps 2010. I had never seen these cards before I came aross them while looking cheap PC cards on COMC. At 25c each I was not going to turn them down. They just look so neat,the black background make the player jump out at you. What I like about these two cards is that they are action shots, hey man the ball is heading right at you. Nothing mindblowing,but nice pick ups when your nearest Walmart is 7000 miles away.
I thought I would show off the start of my new Wade Davis PC. Why Wade Davis I hear you mutter. Simple he fits the Lemons criteria, he is a Ray and he is cheap. To start the PC I thought I would go Topps Chrome 2010, pictured above is the base chrome auto and pictured below is the refractor auto #/499.
And finally the crown jewel thus far, the Blue Refractor Auto #/199. As stated earlier this is a new PC which may be pursued as strongly as my James Shields one or just a passing fancy like my Matt Garza. Stay tuned for further developments.
Before I sign off, I would like to give a big thank you to Ryan and Colin at Sports Card Radio. These guys not only produce a top quality podcast on the world of card collecting, they also host great contests for free box breaks. These guys do this in their own time with their own resources, if you never listen to the podcast give it a try also pop oever to the website for all the information a cardboard head would need.
The card above isn't mine, it's one I found while browsing Topps Sterling 2010 on Ebay. The card is a Frenchy Bodagaray cut auto 1/1. I realise that ole Frenchy has a long name,but come on Topps this is a flagship product and this is what you get. Would you be happy with a 'bert Pujols auto or a 'andy Koufax? No I hear you cry. Then why should anyone be happy with a cut off cut auto. This card is for sale for $175 if anyone is interested. I would love a Frenchy card as he is an old Brooklyn Dodger, but not this card thank you.