Monday 25 February 2013

Extra Inning - Current mood: organizing

I finally decided to organize my binders.



I already had some binders for where I put some of my favourite cards.

I read many times the work many people put on organizing the binders.

I'm a girl but I'm not that organized as the chromosome XX is better known for.

But I try my best.

The photo shows one of the packs of 25 binders sleeves I bought. It cost me more than buying cards...

Simply because it's something nor that common.

As you can see by the schema on the paper here I can only get 'Calendar Bags'.

They are awesome for horizontal cards! Shame they are few...


As you can see in the photo I got a new dossier to hold my bunch of binders.

I'm reviewing all my boxes full of cards and finding out I had more cards of players I collect that I knew.

The same goes to the Dusty and Flying cards collection.

I didn't played PlayStation this weekend just because I spent it all caring about my cards.

Will continue next weekend.

Sunday 24 February 2013

2013 Topps - The remaining 9 packs

After some vent about how the Hobby packs are something to avoid I never looked back to my 2013 cards.

But since I got 10 more Hobby packs as a b-day present I thought I might and go and check he cards I already got.


And even if I keep the idea that Hobby packs are a waste I confirm that this year cards design are probably the best in the last decade.

I really enjoyed 2009 and 2011 designs but this year I really liked the sea turtle (credit to night owl).

This year design shows how to use white in cards without making them look too aseptic.

And after this small talk lets got to what matters. Bring the cards on!


Holt got a pretty good RC. With the uniform all dirty.


I still cannot get used to the new Marlins symbol. Too bloody rainbow to my taste.


This was my first insert. I like it! It reminds me of the '80s with all the light and glitterings. And I like Lawrie. He did a pretty good season last year. Lets see what 2013 brings.


I loved Drew in Arizona. With A's that's ok even if the green do not suit him that much. But with Red Sox?...


Werth has this aura around him. Maybe is the beard. Maybe is the 'boss' attitude. And in this photo we get it all.


So, this is one of the 3 HRs Sandoval hit in the WS. Even if you don't like the Giants you got to admire the deed.


My second insert is a mini. And aren't they cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!?

And it's Cal Ripken Jr. to make me go and like it even more.


The backs for players like Ripken Jr. are always dense! But I like the quiz at the top.


The 3rd insert, and right glued to the Ripken Jr. mini is  one The Greats card.

Here is Bob Gibson with lots of reds around him.


What caught my attention was the thickness of the card. We usually see this thickness in relic/auto cards. But I like it.


I can say by now that I got a lot of Blue Jays, Padres and D-Backs cards. They were the majority of the 10 packs.

But getting lots of Arizona cards is something that I like. And Miguel Montero is one of the players that made me like D-Backs. I have one of his cards in m Dust Is In The Air collection so I'm always hopping to get more.

But when I was paying a bit more of attention to this card I saw he 'giant' behind Montero.

Look closer. I know it's a case of perspective but that's quite fun!


Ishikawa. I really don't remember him in San Francisco.

I know some trades are made at the last minute, but I got really confused by getting this card of him with the Brewers.

The Series 1 seems more like the 'last year set' than the 'this year set'.


The well known Aceves muscular card.


Vogelsong is one of the Pitchers I like in the Giants rotation. Nice to get his card in the first packs.

And I really get a lot of pitchers cards...


Are these emerald cards to take the place of the Diamond and Cocgnac Diamond cards?

They were good if there were only cards for the A's players.

The other teams look really strange in emerald.


The road to an other WS title.


Anthony Rizzo plays like he is always posing for photos? Because he got a really nice looking photo.


And this is how I like a pitchers card! Brilliant!

Look! There is the ball spinning too!

I saw this game were Gallardo pitched and he caught my attention. But since he is in Milwaukee he does not get much in the spotlight.


This card is my favourite for all packs. And you don't have to think much about why would that be.

Dust.
Is.
In.
The.
Air.

And even if Catchers might get it easier with plays at the home plate, here we have a Catcher getting dust in the air by sliding to a base.


The next insert is an other Chasing the Dream. This time with Matt Moore.

Nice pitcher that I hope to be one of the best in the near future.


Was just my eyes that saw the black on the letters seem like someone scrape the paint?

Is it that way or someone realy sraped my card?


My only Red is Joey Votto. Since is one of the players I collect it was single shot to bingo.


The first Yankee is Andruw Jones.

He has been a great utility player the last couple of years. I'd prefer to get a Teixeira or David Robertson but this Jones card is quite cool.

The line you see is not a scratch. It is one of the gloves laces. I don't know why but that seems pretty nice!

And this photo made me start an other field action collection. After the sudt now I have the flying collection.


My second Greateast insert card is one and only Ken Griffey Jr.

Look at all the jewelery around his neck! I still cannot understand how can they play with all that.


The first thing I thought when I saw the Brewers glove was 'PAUL MOLITOR'!

But no...Is just mister 3K Robin Yount.

According to baseballcardpedia.com the only way of getting a Molitor card is getting a Cut to the Chase or some relic and auto.

No cool Topps.



There are players with names that are way dificult to say than throwing a knuckle ball.

I confess I had some dificult to get to know much of the teams roster but I get to know most of the main players. But here, mister Nieuwwehuis besides having a great card means nothing to my players database.


Like I said before, I got a lot of Padres in the packs and I noticed that in all cards, or at least in almost all of them, I got a different uniform. Here is Maybin with a retro uniform. I've never saw San Diego playing with them but maybin I need to watch more Padres games.



I really liked Burnett as a Yankee but more of that I liked him as a pitcher. His last year in New York was not that good but we cannot blame only 1 player in a 40-man roster.

He did a great job last season in the first year with Pirates. Hope to see more of that from A.J.


My second and final Yankee in 10 packs (!!!) is a gold numbered Alex Rodriguez record chase for the 3K hits.

I know all the doping thing but I don't mind. This still is a great card to have!


An other mini.

They are cute.


I don't understand why Topps use the same photo for all the cards of some player. Look at Lawrie base card. Yep, it's the same photo of his Chasing the Dream card.

It seems like Topps just have the right of take one shot for the season.


Cabrera will be leading a lot of these trio cards.


The final card is an other CtD insert.

Trevor Bauer, no longer with D-Backs, is a 'nation top prospect'. Hope to see it materialize.


And that's it for my first 10 packs. Hopefully will get the next 10 packs by tomorrow or Tuesday.

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Dust is in the air - page update

I decided to update my page 'Dust is in the air' with the cards pictures.

That way you lot can see the significant dust that I love so much in a card photo.

And while I'm reviewing my collection I found some more cards to add to my dusty collection.

Here is my new addiction.


The '88 Topps Big card #25 featuring Bonilla.

And a lot of dust of course.

Like this ones, I might have more cards to 'bite the dust' that I already had. But I need to get through them all once more.

And that's one of the beauties of the hobby.

Everytime you decide to go through your cards you find something new. Something you didn't noticed at first.

And you feel like you've just pulled the card from a fresh pack.

You got to love it!

Sunday 17 February 2013

Random Card of the Day


I was looking for some cards on the The Trading Card Database and remembered I registered there.

After I logged in I saw the main page and found they have a random card of the day.

Since yesterday was my birthday I checked the day.

The card you see on top was my birthday random card.

Kenny Rogers.

As a Yankee.

It's a 1998 Pinnacle card.

In '98 Rogers would play for the A's but the card was issued with him still wearing the pinstripes.

That was a pretty good card to mark the day!

Friday 15 February 2013

2013 Topps - First look

I know that I might be the last one to have the 'first look' in the new 2013 Topps flagship set.

But let me take my chance at it.

As I mentioned before I bought ten packs on eBay being all of them Hobby packs.


Not because I wanted them to be Hobby but because they were the only ones available.

The thing is that I was expecting to get something different from it.

Not a hit.

Something more like getting more inserts, some SPs or getting the 'best' players cards.

I was truly wrong.

In 10 packs perhaps 2 or 3 might be what I expected from an Hobby pack.

So...paying more and getting less cards never seemed so much of a rubbery to me than this!

I already opened the 10 packs.

In this post I'm just showing the first pack I opened, and it was one of the best.


Starting with one of the stars uh?

For the first card I get Yu Darvish.

I confess...I never cared much about the hype around him.

Second card is Lincecum.

This is a relic because of the new hair. He deserves an Update Series card just to update the hair. Not the team. The hair.


Who would tell that my third card is the second hype star of the company!

I get Mister Trout!

Sliding without dust in the air? That's a no-no.

The 'MK' I like better is Trout team mate: Mark Trumbo!

I had a thing for Trumbo since I got his RC. Sorry Trout.

You might say that after these tow cards my base set is quite complete no?

Not for me.


As you can see in the Trout photo there is an other card. Chase Utley card.

I got in the same pack the gold version of it.

Was it intended?

The only card I liked and enjoyed truly was the D-Back Heath Bell.

Got love Bell photos!


And to finalize the one single card that pissed me off like bloody hell!

Topps.

Go and clean your *hands* with it.

Even if I'd be available to pay the shipment it is not allowed to register in the site for out USA/Canada.

And because I get this tremendous useful card I didn't get a true card!

The pack says '10 cards' and less if there is some insert or something.

But this 'piece of card' must not count!

Topps people!

You must listen to what Obama said the other day at USA Congress (I think - correct me if I'm wrong) about making business over the Atlantic!

USA and Europe promoting trades and economic business between each other *easily*.

Include trading cards in that please.

And keep cleaning your *hands* with the million dollar chase cards.

1991 Leaf Series 1


Usually, the USA eBay seller from whom I get many of my cards, send me a bonus pack.

This post is about one of those.

As usually in Donruss sets there is a promise of 15 cards plus some puzzle pieces in each pack.

For the 3 puzzle pieces I get the Harmon Killebrew end of first name and begin of last name.

Here is how the complete puzzle looks like:


I usually don't like that much this puzzles but I don't know why but I loved this one!

Maybe is the silver/metal touch to it.

Wish I had it complete. Would make a frame with it to put on my wall.

I got to know Killebrew and I got pretty interested in having his cards.

I did a search on eBay and it seems there are some inserts in the last couple of years with him. But he's not in the spotlight it seems.

But I did found I had a card of him. As a Washington Senators'!

UD 2008 Masterpieces #49 Harmon Killebrew
Isn't it a great looking card? It's quite a pretty good start.

Now the packs' cards.


#159 Mark Knudson P@MIL
#173 Gary Sheffield 3B@MIL - '91 would be the last year with the Brewers.
#247 Julio Machado P@MIL
#166 Jose Mesa P@BAL
#240 Bob Melvin C@BAL
#254 Gary Redus OF@PIT - Swing to the knee.
#261 Barry Bonds OF@PIT


#144 Tommy Gregg 1B/OF@ATL - Love fielding photos at the bases.
#158 Greg Olson C@ATL
#172 Tom Glavine P@ATL - My favourite card in the pack.
#209 Charlie Leibrandt P@ATL
#151 Kevin McReynolds OF@NYM - Swing to behind the back.
#165 Dwight Gooden P@NYM
#180 Frank Viola P@NYM
#202 Daryl Boston OF@NYM


I don't know if this was a trend in this set packs, but I got a pretty team alignment in the pack: 3 MIL + 2 PIT + 2 BAL + 4 ATL + 4 NYM.

A last note about the cards design.

I like silver borders. I think I might as well already said it a lot before.

But besides the silver border the kind of photo album frame in the corners gives the best touch.

Try putting it in binders and you'll see the great effect it has!