It's Been a Busy Week For Baseball Cards

I don't think I can recall a busier week for Baseball cards in a very long time, and that's both a blessing and a curse at the exact same time.

After Monday's trip to the Mansfield show, I've embarked on a new project with my spare time; counting every last one of my Baseball cards to create a definite total. 

I'm currently hovering around the 40,000 card mark with a little under half of my collection left to go. I originally guessed that I had around 75,000 cards, so I'm intrigued to see how close the actual total is to my prediction.

I've also dedicated time towards putting new Baseball cards, like the 1976 Topps cards from the show, away in binders or boxes. At the same time, I have to keep track of what cards I've counted and which ones I haven't so that I don't end up with an inaccurate total.

Oh, and I took a quick trip to my LCS on Wednesday for supplies and grabbed a few cards for $1 or $2 each that I'll be showing today. Not to mention, a box that I purchased with the profits from my eBay sales is set to arrive in the mail tomorrow.

Needless to say, I've been extraordinarily busy this week when it comes to cards, but I definitely view the work that I've done as positive for my collection, even if it does become tedious. For example, the counting of all my Baseball cards led me to find a few new minis for my A&G mini frankenset.

The Kawakami is all set to take the previously unoccupied spot #284 while, on the other hand, Aaron Hill's 2011 Topps A&G back mini may or may not end up in my frankenset, depending on which card I currently have in spot #203.

I've only tracked down 3 minis thus far, but I'm bound to find a few more as I continue making progress. My favorite of the 3 that I've found as of now is this Michael Pineda mini from 2016, featuring a rare instance of a full-bleed background in an Allen & Ginter set.

However, when I went to find the card number on the back, something instantly caught my eye. 

The card has no number on the back. Oddly enough, this makes it a no number variation, a card I believe to be limited to just 50 copies. While I find the whole premise of a card not having a number rather ridiculous, the actual Michael Pineda card in this set is card #20, and I'm looking for a mini to fill that hole.

Therefore, even though this card technically has no number, hence why it's a mini no number variation, at the same time, it's also card #20 in the set. Because of that, unless I can sell this card on eBay or trade it on the blog, it'll end up in my A&G mini frankenset.

I previously stated that I picked up a few inexpensive cards at my LCS when I went in there for supplies the other day, one of them being a Topps Archives peach parallel of Big Papi from 2017.

Besides the fact that the frame awkwardly cuts off Ortiz's teammate Hanley Ramirez, the photo is very well captured, and the parallel color is definitely unique. Because this set that also featured light blue and soft red parallels, I appreciate the untraditional color choices for this product's numbered parallel cards.

Topps Inception is another one of those expensive, 1-pack hobby products that don't really do anything for me. There's a reasonable chance that I'll never open a pack or box or whatever you want to call it of Topps Inception in my life, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the design.

I picked up a couple base cards from the product at a previous trip to the Baseball card show, but this was my first ever in-person look as to what the parallels look like, and I must say, I'm really digging this pink Xander Bogaerts card, numbered out of 99.

Next step; find 2018 Topps Inception cards for cheap. Those have black backgrounds instead of white and are pretty beautiful to look at.

2 parallels from 2017 Tops Museum, a Roberto Clemente numbered to 150 and a Greg Maddux to 50, cost me the exact same price each. Because I avidly collect both players and am a stickler for serial numbered cards, I said "why not?" and picked up both colored parallels. 

Seeing them side by side, they do look pretty incredible, and they certainly embody the high-end product that is Topps Museum. The black borders are perfect for the respective blue and red parallel colors, and in the case of Roberto Clemente's card, the photo shown is not one that Topps has really used before.

Then, in the mail today, I spotted an envelope from Topps Now which confused me, considering the fact that I haven't bought a Topps Now card since the Red Sox won the World Series last October. 

Yet, through the paper, I could make out the outline of a Baseball card, so I carefully tore into the envelope.

Although it's definitely used as more of a promotion, it was a pleasant surprise to receive a free Topps Now card of Mike Trout in the mail. Although, I can't say I was thrilled that it arrived without a sleeve or anything around it. The card simply came in the envelope with 1 cardboard insert, and frankly, it's a miracle that the card ended up in the condition that it did.

The card gives me my first look at the 2019 Topps Now set, and while the design remains quite minimal, I like it a bit more than the 2018 design. From the 1 card that I've seen so far, the design itself is very clean, and the simplicity, once again, allows the images to stand out more.

The back includes some information about a 2019 Spring Training set or something that Topps wants me to buy and even features a promo code for a discount on a team set. For now, I think I'll pass, though I definitely appreciate the free Mike Trout card.

Reviewing My 2018 Card Collecting Goals

I've been getting ready to write a recap post about 2018 in Baseball and cards for a couple of days now, but every time I begin formatting a post in my head, I'm unable to conceptualize a coherent idea. Therefore, I've been delaying this post until I'm certain it's exactly what I want it to be.

This time last year, I had barely been blogging for 4 months. I was still trying to figure out what exactly I was going to do with the blog. The quality of my posts wasn't great, I was kind of all over the place, and I was still getting in the groove of things.

Flash-forward to the end of 2018. Okay, I'm still all over the place, but I'm pleased to say that I've remained dedicated the blog and through that, I've been happy with what I post. I guess I wasn't too certain about the type of collector I was even as recent as last year. Now, I'm still collecting a ton of things at once, but I'm having a blast doing it, and that's what card collecting is really all about.

The reason I'm talking about all of this now is that I wouldn't have made this much progress if I didn't set goals for myself. I knew I wanted to put out posts almost every day a week, I wanted to focus on player collections, and most of all, I wanted to have fun with the blog. It feels great to have achieved all of those goals in 2018.

Similarly, I set 7 card collecting goals for myself back at the end of 2017. In order to achieve my ultimate goal of having fun while collecting cards, I needed a basic outline for what I wanted to accomplish. Today, I'll be reviewing the goals I set for myself roughly 1 year ago today.

#1 Complete the 1972 Topps set

Accomplished? Yes

We start off with the goal I'm proudest to have accomplished, and that's completing the 1972 Topps set back in July. It was a process that took my Dad and me 46 years, but it was 100% worth it. Towards the end, there were high-numbers, team cards, and rookie cards that made the odds of finishing the set seem grim. 

Through it all, however, I was able to complete the set before leaving for The National which proved to helpful since I was able to complete 1975 Topps while I was there, a goal that wasn't even on my list in 2018.

#2 Complete 1969 and 1970 Topps Seattle Pilots team sets

Accomplished? Yes

With the completion of the 1969 and 1970, Topps Seattle Pilots team sets very early in the year, I'm now 2-2 for goals completed thus far. Since I first started collecting vintage, Seattle Pilots cards have always been on my radar, and it's taken quite a few years to finish off these 2 team sets. 

With the Topps base team sets done, 2019 could be the year in which I track down some oddball Pilots cards to further boost my collection.

#3 Continue to focus on player collections

Accomplished? Yes

The development of the player collection tiers was the major breakthrough that I made for my always-expanding player collections in 2018, quite possibly the focal point of my collection. While it can be difficult to measure how well I was able to concentrate on PCs, the tiers provide proof of how much I choose to focus on the players I collect when I'm at the show or anywhere else purchasing cards.

With 38 player collections currently at 100 cards or more, it's safe to say that I accomplished my goal of focusing on player collections in 2018.

#4 Control impulse purchases

Accomplished? Eh

Like the player collections goal, the idea of controlling impulse purchases isn't very objective and thus, there could be different opinions on if I truly kept myself from buying too many card products or not in 2018.

I will say this, however. There were many times in which I went into Target or my LCS and walked out because there wasn't a product that appealed to me and that I was willing to spend money on. Other times, this did not happen, and I ended up over-buying certain sets. 

I do believe that I made progress with this goal, but I would not refrain from putting it back on the list of goals in 2019 as well.

#5 Continue to trade and eliminate cards from my want list

Accomplished? Yes

My want list certainly has expanded over the last 12 months, but thanks to generous viewers and bloggers, I have been able to consistently acquire cards that go towards completing some of these sets. 

One of the many cards I traded for in 2018 was this dual patch of former Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury. I completed the trade with Bob Walk the Plank who retired from blogging in 2018. He joins the list of many retired bloggers whose writing I adored and have inspired me to start my own little card blog and join this community.

#6 Complete my player collection project

Accomplished? Yes

It took a bit longer than I would've liked, but I was able to finish the process of moving all player collections from binders into boxes while also adding newly-acquired player collection additions to their new homes as well. It took a year, thousands of penny sleeves, and a lot of categorizing, but the process was completed in 2018.

It's very simple. Sheets were not working for me as they were collecting copious amounts of dust and becoming old, damaging the surfaces of the cards. I see the boxes as a solution for many many years because of how little space they take up and how cheap penny sleeves are. After all, they are called penny sleeves.

#7 Buy a Topps NOW card

Accomplished? Yes

In addition to purchasing individual cards of Rafael Devers for his grand slam against the Yankees and Brandon Phillips for his historic home run in Atlanta, I purchased an entire Topps NOW box set, commemorating the 2018 World Series Champions, the Boston Red Sox. 

Even with the faith I had in this team back when I made this list of goals, the Yankees appeared incredibly formidable, and I wasn't expecting Boston to pull off what they did this year. I still think the individual cards are over-priced, but the idea is excellent and the cards are very well-made.

While I'm on the topic of the 2018 Red Sox and the progress I've made with the blog, I'm ecstatic to say that I've finally found the perfect background for the blog. It's taken me well over a year, and I've gone through multiple themes, but come on, once I got these Topps NOW cards in-hand, it was an easy choice for the background of the blog.

Thank you to everyone for a great 2018 for the blog. I'm proud to be one of many sports card blogs out there, and I can't wait to see what 2019 brings for us collectors.

My World Series Set Has Arrived

After nearly 2 months of waiting, my Red Sox World Series set from Topps NOW finally arrived in the mail today, providing me with a belated holiday gift that I've been anticipating since the Sox took home the World Series title 2 months ago to this day.

The day after the Fall Classic was won, I claimed one of the exclusive 20-card sets from Topps that includes a bonus autograph of 1 player out of a list of about 10. In addition to the base form of the autographs, there are parallels as well, though I'm not sure what colors or numberings they have.

Considering it took Topps 2 months to deliver the set, I expected top-quality cards with the same cardstock that we've become accustomed to in the Topps NOW brand. That includes the smooth and spotless front with the Topps holo logo on the back in addition to the higher-quality cardstock used for the online-exclusive set. 

When I opened up the set, I'm pleased to say that the quality of cards lived up to my standards. What I found in the box was an impressive stack of cards made to look just like regular Topps NOW cards. Only this time, it's a full set commemorating the 2018 World Champion Boston Red Sox.

The 1st card of the set is at the top of the post, featuring the now iconic image of Chris Sale and Christian Vazquez celebrating the World Series win with David Price being the next one to the mound. This card serves to commence the rest of the set which includes individual cards for the major contributors to the historic team.

It makes sense for Mookie Betts to be the first player included in the set after the team card at spot #1. Even before the playoffs began, it seemed fairly certain that Mookie would take home the AL MVP award. Immediately, I took notice that every picture included in the set was taken at one of the World Series games, a detail I certainly appreciate.

Another Rafael Devers rookie card is now mine thanks to the exclusive World Series set. He may have dealt with injuries and not been as consistent in 2018 as he would've liked, but Devers remained a key member of the championship-winning team from start to finish. At the age of 21, he's already a World Series champion.

Though I've purchased a couple Topps NOW cards in 2018, I have yet to comment on the set design since the product is less about design and more about the event or moment it's commemorating. The set is fairly basic with nothing too special going on. I would like a bit more of an interesting set for 2019 Topps NOW, but the issue is far from pressing.

One of the things that excited me the most about this set when I ordered it was knowing that each card would have a little blurb of information about each player and his role on the World Series team. I was eager to see what Topps has to say about key performers in the series such as David Price and Steve Pearce.

However, I quickly learned that this was not the case but, in fact, every card had the same exact text on the card back, a quick recap of the World Series in just 3 sentences. I won't lie, I was very disappointed by Topps' decision not to go more in-depth with the product. 

While it's not a big enough reason for me to dislike the set, you'd think there would be unique writing on each card because of the price of this set and other Topps NOW products.

With that being said, I can't be too upset about Topps decision, for there's nothing I can do now anyway. As soon as I noticed the repetition on the card backs, I glanced at this Chris Sale card taken right when the Red Sox sealed their Fall Classic victory. 

Suddenly, I have zero room to complain about card backs.

The trade deadline acquisition of Ian Kinsler back in late July didn't really make much sense given the plethora of utility infielders like Brock Holt and Eduardo Nunez. It seemed a given that Kinsler would go elsewhere in the offseason, and that's exactly what he did when he signed with the San Diego Padres for 2 years and $8 million dollars.

30-year old Rick Porcello will be entering the final season of his contract in 2019, and Boston will have to decide whether or not to bring him back. It's uncertain what he'll be asking for, but despite his inconsistencies, he's been a solid starter in the rotation and even a Cy Young award winner with the Red Sox. It would be wise to resign Porcello after the 2019 season.

Brock Holt, unbelievably, hit the 1st ever postseason cycle in MLB history in the ALDS against the Yankees, certifying him as a postseason hero for the Red Sox on route to their World Series title. Even with Dustin Pedroia expected to be healthy and Eduardo Nunez returning in 2019, I expect "Brockstar" to retain his role as the super utility player that he is.

After the Red Sox took home the World Series title, it became clear that maintaining their championship-winning roster for years to come would be difficult with players like Chris Sale and Mookie Betts hitting free agency in the coming years. 

Another key talent who the Sox will have to lock up sooner rather than later is their Gold Glove centerfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. who has 2 years of arbitration before becoming an unrestricted free agent after the 2020 season.

After setting career highs in doubles, home runs, and RBI in the 2018 season, Xander Bogaerts proved that he can be an All-Star caliber shortstop for years to come. I've always thought of him as an underrated defensive player, and I wouldn't be shocked to see him win a Gold Glove or 2 at some point in his career.

The catching situation for the Red Sox is my only major concern going into the 2019 season. A trade for Blake Swihart seems inevitable and frankly should've happened years ago when his stock was higher and they could've gotten more for him. Both Sandy Leon and Christian Vazquez struggled in 2018, but I have slightly more hope in the latter if he can stay healthy and solid defensively.

Don't be too shocked to see Craig Kimbrel return to the Boston Red Sox if the 2 sides are willing to compromise on the contract length and of course, the money that the 7-time All-Star will receive. Kimbrel had a legendary 2017 season with the Red Sox and has proven to be formidable. Even if he has his share of struggles, he's easily one of the best relievers in all of Baseball and someone who Boston needs to return.

He may have already signed with the Dodgers, but Joe Kelly will forever be a Red Sox fan favorite, especially after his fight with Yankees infielder Tyler Austin. I fondly remember being at that memorable game when Austin and Kelly began a benches-clearing brawl between the 2 clubs. In addition to his presence in the clubhouse, Kelly's departure leaves a major void in the bullpen.

With 1 player and a couple other cards yet to come in the set, I'd like to point out how well Topps did in terms of choosing the right players to be included in the set. Each player included in the set contributed heavily, in the World Series especially, to the success and World Series title that the Red Sox obtained this year. Seriously, hats off to Topps for the job that they did.

Eovaldi was quickly resigned to a 4-year deal worth just north of $65 million dollars, and I could not be more stoked about it. The trade that Dombrowski made for him at the deadline was one of the smartest trade deadlines trades in Baseball over the last decade along with Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs in 2016. 

The final 3 cards of the set are celebrating cards taken a short time after the World Series came to an end. The cards include a nice variety of images, from Mookie Betts celebrating with champagne showering over him to rookie manager Alex Cora holding up the Commissioner's trophy after the Red Sox were officially crowned the champions of Baseball for 2018.

Wow, that sure is a lot, but I'm not quite done yet. I previously mentioned that 1 autograph from a member of the World Series team would be included with this purchase. Without any further adieu, here's who I pulled.

I have to say, Ian Kinsler would've been my last choice out of everyone on the checklist simply because he wasn't as much of a key contributor to the teams' success as opposed to everyone else. With that being said, I'm a big fan of the way the card is presented, incased with the Topps NOW sticker at the top. Similar to the card backs, it's not something that's going to ruin the whole set for me.

Plus, the card is a blue parallel numbered 3/49, a nice surprise because of how little I know about the set and all the parallels within it. Kinsler may not have been my first choice, but the low numbering and the way the card is packaged makes up for it in some way or another.

Now that I have this set in-hand, it's about time to look ahead to the 2019 season and what that will bring. It's incredibly difficult to win a World Series, but repeating hasn't even happened since the Yankees 3-peated from 1998-2000. 

With the entire 2018 calendar year almost done, it's about time to see what 2019 will bring, for Baseball and beyond.

2018 Card of the Year

As if I could go with any other card but this one for my entry on Waiting 'til Next Year's annual card of the year contest. I mean, the Red Sox won the World Series, something that still seems so incredibly surreal. How could I go with any other option?

To be fair, I thought long and hard about what else I could do for my 2nd ever entry in this contest. Last year, the card of choice was a 2017 Topps Stadium Club Brooks Robinson, likely the greatest Stadium Club card I have ever seen in my life. 

This time around, Stadium Club didn't deliver quite as memorable cards, and while I certainly had other options, I went for the Topps Now card commemorating the Red Sox's World Series win instead.

Even as I write this post, I become increasingly skeptical about if I made the right choice or not. I hit some amazing cards out of 2018 Topps Chrome that I could've gone with, this years' Archives was loaded with options, and I still have yet to open any of Topps Gallery.

But what I've come to realize is that those sets will be back again next year. Stadium Club, Allen & Ginter, Archives, Gallery, and all the other sets that have become my favorites over the last few years will return in 2019 barring any unforeseen circumstances. 

Unlike all those products, we don't know when the next Red Sox World Series championship will come. It could be as soon as next year or Red Sox fans could end up suffering through another 86 year drought before a title is brought back to Boston.

That's what makes this card so special. It symbolizes an accomplishment that doesn't come along too often. No matter what happens this offseason or next year or even 50 years into the future, the Boston Red Sox won the 2018 World Series.

A card commemorating that feat is certainly one deserving of the title; card of the year.

I May Have a New Favorite Card in my Collection

The day after the Boston Red Sox won the 2018 World Series, I scanned the Topps website, specifically the Topps Now section, to take a look at what particular special cards they had made available to commemorate that event.

What I didn't expect was the sheer number of Topps Now cards, autographs, relics, and parallels available of World Series heroes such as David Price and Steve Pearce. However, most of them including a $3,000 dual 1/1 autograph of Chris Sale and David Price, were way out of my price range.

What wasn't unreasonable to spend was the standard cost of a Topps Now card to commemorate one of the greatest moments in Red Sox history. Though there were actually multiple cards made for this game, I made the decision to simply go for one of them. You'll see why in a couple of days. As for the card of choice, that wasn't a decision I had to think about for very long.

Sure, Game 5 heroes were represented with their own cards by Topps the day the Sox won it all, but there's not a single card I'd rather have besides the one that commemorates, well, the actual World Series win. Plus, I'll probably pick up some other Game 5 cards, possibly of Mookie Betts' homer and the clinching moment with Chris Sale and Christian Vazquez.

The front is all about the celebration that we get to see just 1 team have each and every year. The celebration photo was taken right after they clinched the World Series title as players begin running from the dugout and bullpens for quite possibly the greatest moment in some of their careers.

On the flip side, the actual World Series trophy makes an appearance on the back of the card. Swarming around the trophy are members of the team, already wearing 2018 World Champions hats and shirts. Most every hand in the photo is touching the trophy except for one on the right, likely Rafael Devers, making a "#1" with his left hand.

And with this moment, the season came to an end, history was made, and another banner rose (not yet but soon) for another fabulous city. Each year, one team gets this privilege above all the others, and when you truly think about the magic behind championships, you uncover the beauty of sports.