The New Frankenset: Page #3

Apologies for the 3-day hiatus that took up most of the week; recently, though my number of posts have been down, I've tried not to miss more than 2 days in a row.

Hopefully, I can use the weekend to put some more content out there. For instance, continuing with my brand new frankenset by exploring the 3rd page, home to cards #19-27.

Skipping the rambling introduction that I often have before these posts, let's jump right into things.

#19 1989 Sportflics Robin Yount

Starting off with a 3D card of a Hall of Famer, page #3 is already a win in my books. Though Sportflics may not have the same appeal as Kellogg's, they still do a respectable job.

Plus, it's kind of hard not to be excited about 3D cards in a frankenset. I don't recall the first binder having more than 1 of these cards, and there happens to be another on the 3rd page of frankenset #2.

#20 1980 Topps Dan Ford

I have mixed feelings when it comes to the 1980 Topps Flagship set. Some cards don't make that great of use of the design which, if complemented with the right photo, can be terrific.

Others, like Dan Ford's, make me rethink my feelings towards the set as a whole. Everything from the color combinations to the photograph works tremendously well in the case of his card. Now, if only Topps could have spread the wealth equally across the entire set.

#21 2005 Bowman Heritage Brian Roberts

I was caught a little off guard toward the end of last year when Topps released a Bowman Heritage set for the first time in over a decade. I first started seeing it listed around the holidays, but my splurge on Bowman's Best around the same time prevented me from getting my hands on any of it.

I'm almost certain that the revival is a hobby exclusive, but I'd like to get my hands on a small sampling of the cards at some point. I'll likely use the card show, specifically the show's case breaker, to accomplish that the next time I visit.

#22 2014 Topps Opening Day Stars Justin Upton

I can count on a single hand the number of 3D insert sets that Topps has attempted over the last decade, so when one does come along, it definitely piques my interest.

First, we had Topps 2020, a 3D insert back in 2010 (which, unfortunately, featured no Red Sox or Cubs players). Next, an insert from 2014 Topps Opening Day, creatively named "Stars."

Boring name or not, I actually like the design better than the Sportflics from 25 years prior. The modern look and new age photography pair nicely with one another, and the blue and silver together are quite sleek.

#23 1991 Studio Bert Blyleven

As recently as a couple of years ago, Target would sell these 20-pack repack boxes by the Fairfield company that featured a plethora of recent packs as well as a few from the 90s. It's how I ended up with my Mookie Betts Chrome Update rookie card as well as my Kris Bryant rookie from 2015 Topps Series 2.

I haven't seen one of these in years, so I'm left mainly with the few that I opened back in 2016 and 2017. For whatever reason, I remember there being a pack or 2 of 1991 Studio in one of the boxes, featuring black and white photos and a magenta frame.

One of the guys I ended up with, as you can see, is Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven.

#24 2009 Topps Heritage Marco Scutaro

My Dad and I collected Topps Heritage pretty heavily from 2005-2008, 2011-2014, and again from 2016 until the present day. In these on and off periods, however, we missed out on the 2009 release which paid homage to one of my favorite Topps Flagship sets: 1960.

I only have a handful or 2 of cards from the '09 product, but thankfully, Topps also replicated 1960 Topps in the 2017 Archives release. It may not feature as excessive of a checklist as when Heritage came out, but it's certainly better than nothing.

#25 1973 Topps Roy White

3D cards, Heritage replicating one of my favorite Flagship sets, and now something vintage: the 3rd page of the new frankenset truly has a wide range of cards to offer.

The oldest card of the page is from 1973 Topps and features Roy White who would go on to win 2 World Series with the New York Yankees in both 1977 and 1978. Even though I can't point out exactly what it is that I like about this card, I must say that it's one of my favorites on the page.

#26 2006 Bowman Gold Parallel C.C. Sabathia

The recently-retired C.C. Sabathia didn't hold anything back when discussing his thoughts on the MLB's recent sign-stealing scandals, especially in light of the penalties handed out to the Houston Astros.

I can't necessarily blame Sabathia for being upset, but I'm refraining from commenting further on the Red Sox's role until the investigation is complete, for we truly do not know the extent of what happened.

#27 2012 Topps Gold Standard Jim Thome

Out of all the team's Jim Thome played for, throughout his Hall of Fame career, it's interesting that Topps chose to feature him as a member of the Chicago White Sox in this insert set back in 2012. I assume it's because he hit his 1,500th RBI as a member of this team.

Gold Standard wasn't the only "gold-themed" insert set released in 2012. There were also Golden Moments and Golden Greats, 2 more large insert sets released in both Series 1 and 2.