Friday 30 May 2014

1998 Collector's Choice - That lunch box! (pack 24)



Jeff Bagwell is ready to enter my newly created collection: One Team Man.


Stop everything! I got a Yankee!


And poor Chad career highlights are those two WS titles he got with Yankees.



And stop everything again but this time with more highness because it's mister Wade Boggs as a Yankee!


And even if myself, a Yankee fan, when think of Boggs as a Red Sox...the only WS title he has is with my Yankees.



Avery started great and had Rookie honours. But after that...


I don't know why but I forgot to take a shot of Estalella card back.

So here's the back from TradingCardDB.




Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Wait!

What is this!?

I not only got an other ER card but a Yankees ER card!


It's Tino Martinez Evolution Revolution shirt card.

Again, I just wished the home uniform was the one outside and not the away uniform.



What a pack!

Tuesday 27 May 2014

1998 Collector's Choice - That lunch box! (pack 23)


This card background is like a table cover.



Sorry to all catchers bu I always prefer to have a catcher's card with a photo with the catcher wearing the catcher's gear.

I know they can hit and stuff but for me they catch and call plays.

I wish I had a card with a catcher making the signals to call the play. I think I've never saw that...Is it forbidden to show signals in cards?





Catalanotto has one of those names that are harder to say than to write...




Not that must interesting pack. I truly hope the remaining two are good enough.

Friday 23 May 2014

1998 Collector's Choice - That lunch box! (pack 22)


I still cannot believe it's Paul Konerko in this card.

In the front photo there is some beard but comparing to how he looks now I wouldn't say it was him!

And that sly look on the card back...hummmmmm


I don't know if John Burkett is having problems with the Sun or simply didn't like the batter he was facing.


And he looks so much younger in the card back!




I think I saw a pose just like Bragg is doing here but in some Figure Skating festival.

I think Upper Deck removed by photoshop the partner that was grabbing Bragg (nice words to put together to mix Bs and Gs...)


Someone with this name must be ready to hear funny stuff.

And the card back info even helps a bit...'best up-and-coming'...


This card is a great card to simply staring at.


And the card back even gives us a retro uniform look.


Oh my! An early Vladimir Guerrero card!

This maybe the most "rookie card" I have of Vladimir!

Chuck Knoblauch card is a beautiful sight.

You not only have him immortalized in photo jumping for a double play but you also see the opposite player ready to start the slide to the base.

Even if the opposite player, mister Matt Mieske from Milwaukee Brewers, seems to be falling.


If you zoom the Guerrero card back photo it seems that what he just signed and is giving to the fan is a baseball card!

But for Chuck Knoblauch card back, if the front wasn't enough, you can laugh out loud!

I'm thinking to make some kind of top of cards in the end of these posts just to choose the best cards.

I think I won't have to look much harder to find a true candidate to #1.



José Rosado is a one-team-man. I love those cards!



So, this pack is one of the best so far!

Monday 19 May 2014

Panini FIFA World Cup 2014 Stickers


This year is FIFA World Cup year!

This time is in Brazil.

I only collect stickers for World Cups and Euro Cups. Cannot afford more than that every other 2 years...


Every pack brings 5 stickers. The usual for Panini.

It costs 0,60€ (around 0.80$) which is a bit too much for the quantity of stickers and their size.


We start with the mascot called Futeco, the Cup, the ball...the usual shiny stickers.


It's the first time, I think, I collect a WC or a EC and the stadiums stickers are computer generated concepts or even under construction stadiums.

Starting with Group A.


The first team is, of course, Brazil.

As you can see the photos are studio photos instead of 'in the match' photos.

Again Panini could do so much more...

And not even the team photo are divided by 4 as in past years. Joining stickers are the best!




Group B


One interesting group with the regnant winner Spain.


The always winner candidate The Netherlands.



Group C



I, and all Portuguese, are still steaming for Greece winning the 2004 Euro Cup over us...



I'm always wishing for Japan to achieve a place at least in 1/8 or 1/4.

I just can't get the Tsubasa sticker ;)

Group D


I watch Uruguay matches because of Maxi Pereira. He plays for Benfica.



I don't know what went wrong between England Football association and Panini but for a couple of Cups they are photoshoped to white shirts.

Even the usual national symbol are not present. Don't tell me Topps got the exclusive of that too!?

It's a shame...


Squadra Azzurra!

Usually I root for Italy. I know they have a defensive game but they are getting better at attacking too.

Group E





I'm in trouble about Honduras. I can't get much stickers of them. They are the 'rare' team in this.

Group F


Argentina is Messi.

But is also a lot of great players.

I'm paying attention to Garay current playing for my Benfica and also Di Maria a former player of Benfica too.

Macherano is also a great player and Barcelona have to thank him a lot this season.




Group G


Do you know the saying 'It's eleven against eleven and in the end Germany wins'?

That's it...

But I like watching them playing.


And Portugal!

Almost complete! Just missing 3 players.

Today we will know the final 23 selected players to go and lets see if Panini got it right or if they were cheated a lot.



The USA team won against us the last time they were on the same group as us, back in the 2002 World Cup on Korea and Japan.

Group H





I know they are fast. Lets see if they can make more than simply run.


In the end of the album we get to see the list of teams that got to go to WC by date.

Japan was the first team and Portugal needed to go to Playoffs against Sweden and so we were one of the last ones to get the tickets.

I'd prefer these moments were stickers too.


As you can see in the bottom left of the pub pages there are Panini PRIZM cards of WC too.

But I live in the end of the world so we don't get the cards here.

Probably those countries with the info translated are the only ones to get the cards...


In the very last page the album presents us with FIFA WCs records.

Again they could turn it into stickers.


I've traded some stickers already with some work colleagues and decided to go for the blast and bought a box of packs.

It brings 50 packs with 5 stickers so that's 250 stickers.

Hope to almost finish it.