Select Singles: Card Show Recap #26

Today's trip to the card show marked the end of the holiday Baseball card purchases for my Dad and me.

First came our annual Bowman's Best hobby box which delivered the greatest hit we've ever pulled. Now, a trip to the local card show to check in with the dealers, pick up some singles and grab a surprise that I'll be saving for tomorrow.

The first purchase that we made actually produced the content for this entire post, but I didn't expect our purchasing of singles to end there. I spent time searching through dime boxes, miscellaneous bins, and wandering the show floor, peeking into display cases.

That being said, however, nothing really caught my eye, so after being at the show for over an hour, we regrouped and made a decision as to how we'd spend the rest of our funds. The result will be the subject of tomorrow's post.

For now, I have 4, yes four select singles that I spent the better part of the show choosing. Though the total number of cards is less than what I typically amass, I chose each one carefully, and I'm very happy with the outcome as well as the price.

As you can see, the first card, shown at the top of this post, is a gorgeous combo card from Topps Gallery, the best one I've seen so far that features both Vladimir Guerrero and Vlad Jr. I've seen a few others online and even have one in my collection, but they can't compare to this masterpiece.

The closer I examine the card, the more little details I pick up, particularly the overarching theme of Canada, given that the teams are the Montreal Expos and the Toronto Blue Jays.

As if the artwork, specifically that of the uniforms, wasn't fabulous enough, the Canadian flag in the background brings it all together.

If you know about the Chicago Cubs teams from the late 1960s and early 70s then you'll understand why my Dad chose for us to add this '66 Topps rookie stars card of Bill Hands and Randy Hundley to our Cubs PC.

The photos may not be the most flattering, but there's always been a market for rookie cards, something that's been significantly enhanced over the last decade or so.

We wouldn't buy a card like this for just any team but in an effort to build-up our Cubs PC, we were more than willing to part with the $2 that this rookie stars card cost.

As far as Topps Flagship and, additionally, Topps Heritage is concerned, there's nothing better, in my opinion, than a well-executed combo card, and the Padres Power from 2019 Topps Heritage High Number is no exception.

Truth be told, I hadn't seen this card before in my life until I was searching through stacks at the card show today. I'm not the biggest Machado fan, but I have promised to "super" collect Fernando Tatis Jr, my favorite non-Red Sox or Cubs player in the game.

Once 2020 comes along, he'll no longer be considered a rookie, and the prices of Tatis Jr cards will be significantly lower than they've been this year.

However, if I'm going to pay for a Tatis Jr rookie card, at least I can find them for affordable prices at the card show, not to mention how lucky I am that they're available in the first place.

I was shut out when it came to Tatis Jr cards in the box of 2019 Bowman's Best that I opened, so I went into today's card show looking for a base card and possibly a refractor. While I didn't find the former of the 2, I found a gorgeous refractor that the scanner, per usual, did not do justice to.

If Topps isn't going to bless me with Tatis cards right out of the pack, at least I have the card show to help me out.

Highlights From Round #2 of Gallery

It may not bring the most value as far as Baseball card releases are concerned, but Topps Gallery, nevertheless, remains one of my favorite products to rip, year after year.

I opened the first of 2 blaster boxes a couple of days ago in a full recap on the blog, breaking down each pack card by card and sharing my thoughts on what I pulled.

Now, I'm overviewing what came out of blaster box #2, but in a recap instead. Whereas I listed each card I pulled last time around, I'm only overviewing a select few today.

The magnificent artwork and various techniques, no matter the year, remain consistent for every Topps Gallery release. From the super-realistic shot of Christian Yelich to the abstract background of Jonathan Villar's card, the artists' different styles are quite evident.

2 of the cards in the photo above (Harper and Villar) were done by artist Dan Bergren, an artist who I recognize from past Gallery sets for his more abstract approach to the cards. I also admire the work of Kevin Graham who created Yelich's and Guerrero Jr's cards.

I don't have much to do with the world of art aside from Topps Gallery if I'm being honest, so I appreciate that the set introduces something that I know very little about into my world.

As far as I'm concerned, the release of 2020 Topps Series 1 will spell the beginning of my Fernando Tatis Jr "super collecting" days, for the 20-year old will no longer be considered a rookie upon the set's release.

Thus, I'll finally be able to buy individual Tatis Jr cards online without breaking the bank rather than counting on pulling them from packs. I did, however, have nice luck with blaster box #2, for I pulled his base card and the artist proof parallel.

Injuries may have limited his rookie campaign, but Tatis has already established himself as one the most well-rounded players in Baseball at just 20 years old.

If he keeps it up, he could outshine both Alvarez and Alonso as the top rookie from this year's class.

These Gallery Heritage inserts seem to run at 1 per blaster box with Trea Turner coming out of blaster box #2.

Even though he just played a part in leading the Washington Nationals to their first-ever World Series victory, I know practically nothing about the 26-year old. I just recall him being very well thought of back in 2016 when he, along with Corey Seager, was a rookie.

Since then, however, I haven't heard all that much about Turner, though the artwork remains magnificent.

Of course, no matter what kind of Baseball card purchase I make, I'm always on the lookout for how many Red Sox cards I ended up with. In the case of this blaster box, I'd say I did pretty well, landing a Mookie Betts base card and a J.D. Martinez high number SP.

Both cards are brilliantly designed and have their strong points, but the attention to detail used by the artist of Martinez's card (like the shine on the helmet) elevates it to a slightly higher level.

But the Red Sox mojo didn't end there as, like is the case for all inserts, I pulled one of the Master & Apprentice cards out of my 2nd blaster; it just so happened to feature Ted Williams and Mookie Betts, a picturesque duo of Red Sox outfielders.

This artwork differs from that of the base cards and while I don't necessarily prefer it, I like how it contributes to the wide variety of styles in this set.

Now, I have to decide whether the card will go towards the Williams or Betts player collection.

This is (Probably) It

In what's become a yearly tradition, Panini Chronicles has captivated my attention completely sucked me in. After purchasing a hobby box and a blaster in September, I made my 3rd Chronicles purchase on Friday.

While browsing through my local Target, I ventured into the sports card section and saw that they had restocked 5 of the 2019 Panini Chronicles blasters. Though I probably stated that my 1st Chronicles retail purchase would be the last, I can never seem to get enough of this set. The plethora of designs and outstanding variety makes me come back for more every time.

After deliberating for a few minutes, I grabbed the blaster all the way in the back (superstitions) and headed for self-checkout. Hopefully, some other collectors scoop up the other 4 so that I don't fork over another $20 for 23 cards.

Though the price per card is high, I maintain that, especially if you stick to retail, you can get your money back from this set. Look no further than my 1st 2019 Chronicles blaster when I walked away with 3 numbered cards plus a jersey relic.

Moreover, I'm just a huge fan of the product, particularly the 2018 and '19 releases. It's one of my favorite releases, along with Bowman's Best, and if there's a set out there that you love to rip and collect, you should pick up a blaster box or 2 if you can.

This year's blaster-exclusive set, Unparalleled, may not be as exciting as Revolution, but I've grown to appreciate these cards a little bit more. I didn't walk away with anything spectacular out of this 3-card pack, but I do love the look of Kikuchi's teal Mariners uniform with the silver/holo background.

Certified is another of the surplus of products within this year's Chronicles set that I've grown to appreciate as I've opened more packs from the set. I assume there are numbered parallels out there (as there are for most products in Chronicles), but all I've seen so far are the base and non-numbered green cards.

That said, I like that Panini chose to include non-numbered colored parallels in sets like Certified and Status this year. It seems like they made more Chronicles than in 2018, so in exchange for fewer numbered cards per blaster/hobby box, we have non-numbered versions.

I would also consider Phoenix one of the more underrated products from this year's set as well as the 2018 version. Other chrome designs like Select, Prizm, Titan, and Contenders Optic have taken away from Phoenix over the last few years, but when I take a closer look at the set, I'm actually quite fond of the cards.

Panini improved on the design from last year to 2019, and there are gorgeous serial numbered parallels that I've seen pulled in hobby box breaks. As for my blaster, I ended up with a Judge base and a Kris Bryant holo.

I struck out when it came to Vlady Jr rookie cards, but the other big names from the 2019 rookie class made appearances in this box. I find that, despite the bland design, Eloy Jimenez's Chronicles base card is quite interesting. More so than any other color, black works phenomenally well with the rest of the card.

In the time since my first Chronicles blaster, Pete Alonso became the rookie home run king with 53 dingers in 597 at-bats. I may not have pulled a serial numbered or flashy parallel of Pistol Pete, but I'll take anything I can get given how sought after his cards are right now.

Panini Chronicles hasn't been too kind to me in terms of Fernando Tatis Jr cards, for this is only my 2nd out of 1 hobby box and 2 blasters. The first one I pulled came out of the hobby box and was from the Playoff set; this time, the card is from Score.

I wish I had the same affinity for Tatis Jr as I have for Cole Tucker's Status card that seems to appear in every box, but I'll take anything I can get to add to my newest PC to go alongside Craig Kimbrel.

And to say sorry for not delivering many Tatis Jr cards, Panini gifted me another relic card in my 2nd blaster, making me 2-2. The first was a tiny Chris Archer jersey swatch from the Chronicles set, so pulling a huge red jersey relic is definitely a step up.

I don't follow the Reds, so I didn't know all that much about Peraza until I pulled this card. He didn't have all that great of a 2019 season, but it's a numbered relic (#/99), so thing's definitely could've been worse.

The Next Step in "Super Collecting"

As I've mentioned in the past, I'm not a fan of the term "super collector" as it pertains to my card collection. It's not that I disagree with putting more emphasis on one player collection over all the others, but I don't know if I'll ever become a "super collector" myself.

Anyone who's read parts of my blog knows that, as a card collector, I'm all over the place. I'm always sampling new products, buying a variety of cards at the show, and branching off in a ton of different directions.

I don't have any regrets about how I collect, nor do I wish to change my habits anytime soon. This does mean, however, that I'll never be able to zero in on 1 or 2 things like other collectors do, and I'm totally okay with that.

The closest thing I have to a super collection is my Craig Kimbrel PC which is odd given that he's #27 on the list of my largest player collections. I still put a lot of emphasis on The Kimbrel Collection, but for all the reasons listed above, I prefer not to call myself a Craig Kimbrel super collector.

Now, after a year and a half of having The Kimbrel Collection, I'm ready to add another player to the list, Padres rookie phenom Fernando Tatis Jr.

At only 20 years of age, Tatis Jr is already one of the most talented all-around young players in the game. Though a back injury shut him down for the year towards the end of the August, his .317 average, 22 homers, 53 RBI, and 16 stolen bases is an impressive stat line for anyone with only 334 at-bats, nevermind a rookie.

While I haven't had the privilege of watching Tatis Jr in person, I've watched highlights and a few Padres games on MLB. San Diego may not be coming to Boston next year, but I'm going to keep up with him as much as I can during his sophomore season.

Ultimately, it's my dream to pull some sort of Tatis Jr rookie auto over the final 4 months of the 2019 season. I'm lucky enough to have pulled a base rookie card of his from almost every product I've bought, ranging from Topps Chrome to Heritage High Number.

Given the modern-day craze surrounding anything that has to do with big-name rookies, I'm trying to track down as many Tatis rookies as possible from packs rather than paying a premium for them online.

Next year, when he's no longer a 1st-year player, Tatis' cards should be much less expensive, so I can start adding some numbered cards and relics to my collection.

I currently have around 8 cards in my Tatis Jr PC, though I won't be making this part of my collection official right away. I'd like to wait until the 2020 season when it'll be a lot easier to track down cards of the guy I hope wins NL ROY (he probably won't though because of Alonso).

While he's injured and his stock is lower than it's been, I might track down a 1st Bowman card and a couple of rookie parallels. I don't foresee myself buying a Tatis auto (I'm hoping to pull one), but you never know when a good deal could turn up.

I'm truly captivated by the way Tatis plays the game, both at the plate and at shortstop. Even before he and Vlad Jr made their debuts, I had faith that he could become the greatest rookie from this year's class simply because he's not as hyped up as Vlady or even Pete Alonso.

Tatis has all the tools to become the next superstar of Baseball, and that's why I decided to add him to my PC list with Craig Kimbrel. If he stays healthy, the sky's the limit for this young superstar.

An Update From Chicago

My apologies for not posting for the last few days. I've been far busier at this year's National than I was at the 2018 event, between trips to the city, meals, and an unforgettable show. 

I don't want to reveal too much about what I've done/purchased, for I want to save almost everything for the recap posts which will begin this Sunday or Monday. 

However, I did want to write another couple of posts while I'm still in Chicago, so I thought I'd share some cards from one of the most special aspects of the show thus far; the exclusive Bowman Chrome packs from Topps.

In case you're unfamiliar with this promotion, you can take a 2018 or 2019 Topps hobby box to their booth at the show. They'll break the factory seal off your box and give you 1 or 2 (depending on the product) bonus packs with cards exclusive to The National.

These packs, in a way, are comparable to the Bowman mega box mojo packs. They're loaded with serial numbered cards and autographs of tons of players, from current rookies and veterans to prospects and even retired legends.

Some hobby box purchases (which I'll elaborate on once the recap posts begin) plus a generous collector who gave me one of his packs in exchange for me bringing his boxes to the Topps booth resulted in some epic cards for the blog today. 

After this, I'm going to hold off on cards from the show until I return home on Sunday.

The lighting in my hotel room isn't the greatest, but as you can see, the 50-card set consists of 4 groups. There are active veterans, retired stars, top prospects, and young rookies. As far as I know, the idea behind the checklist has been routine since Topps began this promotion several years back.

I never opened a pack of these cards until last year, my first time at The National. I redeemed them at the Topps booth with the box of Chrome and Allen & Ginter that my Dad and I purchased. Our greatest pull, undoubtedly, was a gold refractor (#/50) of Ronald Acuna Jr which we later had graded.

Although I don't have much experience with the promo packs, my sensational pulls from last year inspired me to wait in line for well over an hour to get my hands on these exclusive cards.

For most collectors, Vladimir Guerrero Jr is the #1 rookie on their radar, and I get that. He has the power and sheer talent to become one of the greatest sluggers in baseball history, and fans have been anticipating his MLB debut for over 3 years.

Needless to say, I was thrilled to pull his card towards the end of my Bowman Chrome pack break. I'm not huge into amassing rookie card collections, but the Vlad Jr base cards alone are going for a fair amount on eBay.

However, my top pick as far as 2019 rookies are concerned is 100% Fernando Tatis Jr, so you can imagine how stoked I was to pull not 1 but 2 rookies of his out of these Bowman Chrome packs. 

He doesn't quite have the same hype as Vlad Jr, but that can definitely be beneficial at times. Guerrero's .267 batting average leaves a little to be desired, but Tatis Jr's rookie year stats have been unbelievable. At 20 years old, he's hitting .329 with 19 homers, 45 RBI, and 14 stolen bases in fewer than 300 at-bats.

Tatis' major issue appears to be strikeouts, for he already has 95 on the year. However, he has excellent power and contact hitting, something few players have nowadays. 

Last year, I suspect Topps had some issues in the packaging department with their Bowman Chrome National cards. Many of the packs, including 1 of mine, contained all gold cards, meaning each of the 4 cards in the pack was numbered out of 50 copies.

I believe they fixed this issue in 2019, so, unfortunately, there don't appear to be any all-gold packs at The National this time around. With that being said, I still got my hands on some colored refractors, including Michael Kopech whose gold prospect card I pulled last year.

Kopech hasn't done too much in his rookie season, so the other 3 gold refractors were certainly the best of the group. Each of the players above (Casey Mize, Jo Adell, and Royce Lewis) are in the top 7 of MLB pipeline's top 100 prospects list at #2, #4, and #7 respectively. 

While I'm somewhat knowledgable regarding the top prospects, I don't make any effort to invest in or heavily research players on the top 100 prospects list. It's simply not who I am or how I collect.

However, I have no qualms about holding onto the prospect cards I pull for a couple of years until the guys start playing in the MLB. These 3, in particular, are all expected to make their big league debuts next season, so I don't mind waiting until then to decide whether to keep or sell these gold prism refractors.

Despite pulling multiple gold refractors from last year's packs, the orange prisms (#/25) evaded me completely. As a result, I got my first ever look at these gorgeous cards when I pulled 2 orange refractors of Jose Altuve and Aaron Judge, the faces of their respective franchises.

In general, I don't have much luck when it comes to orange refractors. I didn't pull one of my own until earlier this year from a hobby box that I opted not to feature on the blog. Now, I have 2 more to add to my collection.

The Altuve is nice in that the orange matches one of Houston's team colors while the Judge card is simply stunning. It seems to me that any color pairs well with Yankee pinstripes, and orange is no exception.

Lastly, I knew that this exclusive checklist had autographs, but I never really thought that I'd pull one of them myself, for the odds never seem to be in one's favor. It may not be the most valuable card in the break, but I was pleased to pull a Jose Martinez autograph, numbered out of 25, following his fabulous 2018 season with the Cardinals.

The autograph is on a sticker, not on-card, but the prism refractor makes it challenging to differentiate the 2. I can't say that Martinez would be my first choice, but an autograph is an autograph, especially since the only thing I invested in these packs was time.

Topps' exclusive Bowman Chrome National cards are beautiful as is, and the colored parallels only draw my attention even more. I'm likely going to hold onto these cards for the time being as they'll remind me of the awesome time that I've been having at the show.