The New Frankenset: Page #5

It's been a while since I last updated the frankenset series with another post, so I thought that highlighting page #5 would be the perfect way to transition back into a somewhat regular schedule for the blog after being gone for most of the week.

The scope of this page, which features cards #37-45, is more limited than it's been in the past. The 1980s-2010s are represented, but there's only 1 card from the 80s, and it's from '89.

This page might not be one of my favorites, but there's still a fair amount to address; now, let's get started.

#37 2015 Bowman Prospects Archie Bradley

I don't remember exactly when I made this frankenset, but I wish I had chosen something a little more interesting than a 2015 Bowman base card.

Both the set design and the photo aren't all that interesting, and the foil text that makes up the player's name on the side of the card is notoriously hard to read. Fortunately, the subsequent cards on page #5 are at least a little more appealing.

#38 2003 Topps Finest

Thankfully, Frank Thomas' 2003 Topps Finest card is much more interesting, so it looks like this page is heading in a positive direction. People have often referred to this design as somewhat of a "beehive" thanks to the hexagons scattered throughout the background.

Furthermore, I usually prefer to see home uniforms on cards as opposed to the road, but there's something about the grey jersey that compliments the design better, in my eyes, than white would have.

#39 1997 Fleer Million Dollar Moments Ron Blomberg

In 1997 and '98, Fleer placed redemption cards in their products of all different sports which could, ultimately, result in a lucky collector winning $1 million. While I'm not sure if anyone was actually victorious, at least the design is pretty neat.

Blomberg is an interesting choice for the checklist considering he's a lesser-known player compared to guys like Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken Jr, but it's also highlighting the moment which was the introduction of the designated hitter.

#40 2003 Topps Stadium Club Orlando Cabrera

I don't know if any of you have seen the set design for the 2020 Topps Stadium Club set, but I must admit that I'm super excited to get a sampling of it upon the release in June. The lowercase letters and small, colorful banners make for an extremely modern design.

All Stadium Club sets, for that matter, use stellar photography to create an incredibly modern end product, and the 2003 set is no exception. The only way I could improve this card is by choosing a photo of Cabrera with a powder blue Expos jersey.

#41 2015 Bowman Matt Shoemaker

There's nothing else I want to say about the 2015 Bowman design, so I'll instead talk about Matt Shoemaker, the subject of the card who was en route to an All-Star season with the Blue Jays last year before getting injured.

Hopefully, he can return in 2020 and stay healthy, maybe even take home the AL Comeback Player of the Year award while he's at it.

#42 1994 Ted William Card Company Ralph Garr

1994 was the 2nd and final year of the Ted Williams Card Company, and while the set was only produced for a brief amount of time, they succeeded in highlighting underrepresented players from the game's extensive history.

Guys like Ralph Garr, Thurmon Munson, and Sal Bando, among others, were featured in the checklist over the product's 2-year history. I've completed both of the base sets and even opened hobby boxes from '93 and '94.

#43 2006 Topps Laynce Nix

As far as the 2000s Topps Flagship sets go, 2006 falls roughly in the middle. It's not catastrophic, but there's nothing all that special about the design. It does feature colors that line up with that of the respective team, but that's about it.

If they removed the foil text that spells out the team/player name as well as the position, I'd be slightly more fond of this design. Hopefully, by now, card companies have learned that we don't like foil text on cards whatsoever.

#44 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter Freddy Sanchez

The card above might very well be my favorite of the entire page, though, to no one's fault but my own, there wasn't a whole lot of competition.

Both the photograph and the design are different from what we typically see out of Allen & Ginter, and the Pirates uniform, which they no longer wear, brings back vivid memories of late-2000s Baseball.

#45 1989 Score Willie Randolph

Aside from the obvious, damaged corner in the top righthand corner, the rest of this 1989 Score Willie Randolph card is in reasonable shape. By this point in his career, on the other hand, Randolph was past his prime.

Granted, he went on to be an All-Star for the 6th and final time in '89, this time with the Dodgers, but he wouldn't match the numbers he put up for the 1977 and 1978 World Champion New York Yankees ever again.

Goals For The 2019 National

Although I'm back to my normal routine for the next week and a half, it's time to get serious about the 2019 National Sports Collectors Convention which is just 10 days away.

Admittedly, The 2019 National definitely snuck up on me. It seems that all of a sudden, the show is right around the corner when I've been anticipating this event for months, ever since the end of last year's show in Cleveland.

As you can tell from my recap posts, I had the time of my life at the 2018 National. I got some in-person autographs, pulled incredible cards from packs, finished the 1975 Topps set short of 1 card, and experienced an event that was unlike anything that I'd seen before in my life.

This year, the show is in Chicago, and I'll have one less day at The National this time around since I'm seeing the Cubs battle the Brewers on Friday, August 2nd. 

At most, I'll have an hour and a half at the show before I head to Wrigley Field, so my Dad and I are going to have to make the most of our 2 full days (Thursday and Saturday) at the show.

Last year, I set 7 goals to accomplish at The National, and I ended up achieving all but one of them (I didn't purchase any 1959 Fleer Ted Williams cards). 

Although I'm not typically a fan of creating goals for Baseball card shows given how unpredictable they can be, I feel that it's necessary for an event at the caliber of The National.

Since I'm going to have 1 less day at the show this time around, I decided to list 6 goals that I'll try to achieve throughout my time at the 2019 National and share them on the blog today.

#1 Focus on player collections but not too extensively

This goal, give or take, was one of the 7 that I sought to accomplish at last year's NSCC show, and that's exactly what I did. Throughout my 3 days at the show in Cleveland, I made a few purchases for my player collections, but I made sure to leave room for want list cards and packs as well.

I specifically remember 1 trip to the dime bins as well as the time when I filled an entire 800-count box, primarily with cards for my various PCs. Other times, I'd buy bargain vintage cards of players that I collect, something that's widely unavailable at the shows I typically attend.

Overall, I'm looking for cards and memorabilia at The National that I can't find easily at home. I'd love to fill another 800-count box of cards featuring players that I collect, but that'll likely be one of my only PC-oriented purchases.

#2 Work on my 2019 Panini Prizm project

After purchasing 2 hobby boxes plus a few retail packs of 2019 Panini Prizm, I concluded that the only way I could continue with this project was to stick to individual purchases of these cards. Thus, one of my missions for The National is to make progress with this slightly crazy project.

The only issue is that I have a spreadsheet that lists what cards I have and don't have, but I can't print out the entire sheet and bring it with me. Therefore, I'm going to have to figure something out when it comes to an inventory of what I have from the set because the last thing I want to do is return home with a bunch of Prizms that I already have.

#3 Buy some 2019 Topps Allen & Ginter and 2019 Topps Chrome

A&G and Chrome, 2 of my top 5 favorite sets (along with Bowman's Best, Panini Chronicles, and Topps Heritage) are both released towards the end of July this year. While Allen & Ginter came out earlier in the week, Topps Chrome will be released on the first day of the NSCC show.

Last year, my Dad and I bought A&G and Chrome at The National, and we had a blast opening the packs both at the show as well as at our hotel. We landed some monster hits out of Chrome, including retail, while Ginter delivered its usual oddities which we cherish. 

Whether it's a blaster box or a hobby purchase, I thoroughly expect to get my hands on packs and individual cards from both of these sets when I get to The National, especially because of Topps' wrapper redemption.

If you purchase a hobby box of any Topps product, you can go to their booth at The National and redeem it for a bonus pack of NSCC-exclusive Bowman Chrome cards. Last year, we pulled gold refractors (numbered /50) of guys like Cody Bellinger, Ken Griffey Jr, and even Ronald Acuna Jr. 

If I get my hands on a hobby box at the show later this month, there's no doubt in my mind that I'll immediately go over to Topps' booth and get my hands on one of these bonus packs once again.

#4 Complete the 1979 Topps set

Currently, I'm missing just 48 cards from the 726-card 1979 Topps set, meaning I'm roughly 93% done with this product. Even though it's challenging to find vendors who sell individual cards from the '79 set, there has to be at least one of them at The National.

This goal could prove to be a challenge, but I'd love to complete the 1979 Topps set while I'm in Chicago. That way, I can begin collecting the '73 set as soon as I get back. I usually have 3 vintage Topps sets that I'm collecting at any given time. 

Completing '79 would not only be a great accomplishment, but it would allow me to continue piecing together various vintage Topps sets, specifically from the 1970s.

#5 Focus on finding cards from the want list

Adding onto the goal of completing 1979 Topps, I'd like to take a ton of cards off my want list throughout my ~2 days at the 2019 NSCC show. I'm always working on multiple vintage sets, insert sets, and modern products, so I'm willing to work on anything as long as it's available and fairly priced.

Last year, I found a ton of bargain cards from 1961 Topps just as I was beginning to lose hope of piecing together that set. Similarly, I picked up a ton of base cards and inserts from 2018 Topps Allen & Ginter. 

Because of the sheer variety of available cards at The National, I don't believe this goal will give me much trouble.

#6 Make a splurge purchase

Back in May when I attended the Memorial Day Mansfield show, I splurged on 2 Red Sox rookie autographs, including the card above of Rafael Devers, numbered 5/25. Recently, he's been swinging one of the hottest bats in baseball, so it appears (knock on wood) that this purchase paid off.

As a result, my 6th and final goal for the 2019 National is to splurge on 1 or 2 cards. Typically, I value quantity over quality, but I know there are going to be some incredible cards at the show later this month.

Maybe this will be my first ever card from 1952 or 1953 Topps. Maybe it'll be a key need from the 1961 Topps set, like Mickey Mantle or Roger Maris. It could even be a big-name autograph that I've been chasing for years.

One of the main purposes of going to The National is to acquire stuff that I can't typically find at the shows and shops where I live. Thus, if there's 1 particular card that impresses me and I think would be perfect for my collection, I may just splurge on it.

Last year, this show totally exceeded my expectations and thoroughly impressed me. All I hope is that the same will be said for The 2019 National because I truly cannot wait to go.