2018 Topps Big League - Green

I've always red on other blogs about Gint-a-Cuffs. Never abled to participate I'll get inspired by that and play the game, sort of...

So, there are 4 colours, 6 packs of each. By chance I started with the green ones. Lets see what I got, for first 2 packs.

Pack1.

So already starting getting a RC. What about +3 points per RC card? Sounds good. And Guzman card is quite cool because I like to see the name on the shirt and the number.

Yes, I'm a Yankees fan but I also like Reds, D-Backs and Astros. So, let say getting a Yankee is +10 and for the other 3 teams is +5. So go Schebler.

Four Pitchers in a row

Cueto is one of those pitchers that promise a great season at each start, and he sure has it...like 3 years on-and-off.

Since I love horizontal cards, I get +4 for that Miller beauty

First pack and a variation card already!

So this is not an insert set, it works as a variation form the base card. Topps...I cannot keep track of all this!

But besides that, I like this variation, for the Players Weekend Variation thing. That's when they can use the name, or nickname, they prefer on their shirt, right?

This gets +5. It would be like +7 if we could see the name on the shirt.

In every pack there is a gold variation from a base card. Since it's always there I will only add +1 to the count because of this. But will add a +3 because part of the photo goes outside the frame. I'm such a weirdo for strange details... So I'm also adding +3 to the Tonny card above this, because the bat is also out of the frame (even if you cannot see it because of my scanner from doom)

Result: 24


Pack 2.

And just opening the second pack I get one of my favourite players, which, of course, I collect.

Because of that I get +7 but also -5 because he now got the wrong sox going on.

Cole reminds me of other player but I cannot figure out who it might be...

And here, for two Astros, I get +5 * 2.

Don't get what is going on with players I like. Why they insist on going to Red Sox!?
Kimbrel gives me +7 and -5. That's a second go in the same pack!

So it seems Topps decided to include kind-of-inserts in the base set. So from base set 331 to 350 we get All-Time Greats cards. And the first I get is the first one, 331 Hank Aaron. I'm not sure if the stats on the back of these cards, states all the years they've played. Aaron goes from 62 to 76 states.

For the old school heroes I go with +7. And add +3 for once again the bat going off the frame.

And now I finally see something close to home! Yankee Stadium! YEAHHHHHHHH!

Ballpark Landmarks cards work like the above All-Time Greats cards. So I go with the same +7 for the card and +10 because it's YANKEES!

And if those 2 previous card were not enough I got a card for the third insert-but-not-quite set!

Stat Kings Trio is the usual group card showing the top 3 players for some of the major statistics.

Got the Slugging kings, Stanton, Blackmon and Freeman. I kinda always enjoy Freeman play. Always wished he could be a star player, but something is always missing...

And I think Topps got lazy and the photos pictured in these cards are the same from the base set for each player. And because of that, instead of adding +7 like the previous two, I only add +5.

And to end the pack I got the gold parallel for Clemens! And what a card this could have been if he was wearing a Yankees uniform...

And that's why I'm adding +1 for the gold parallel, +7 because of the All-Time Greats and taking -5 because Boston...

Result:49


I think I'm giving too much points lol Or maybe it's because it's a bit later here and I cannot do maths any more.


First 2 packs and I scored 73. I just love baseball cards.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game - FF X Starter Set

Final Fantasy X. The moment my life changed.

Still remmeber like it was yesterday, when I finally had enought money to buy my PS2 bundle with FFX. Both, console and game, promised to change our minds about videogames. And they both did. At least to me.

FFX is all about Tidus and Yuna journey and love story.

FFX was so good that instead of launching a totally new game they extended the X universe to the FFX-2 (which I also have).

And X-2 was all about the girls. We got Yuna with a make over and not even talking about the ultimate make over Rikku had... We also get a new character, Paine, which kinda takes the place of Lulu.

Wakka was a funny character, and it meant to play water polo. Which was a side-quest always good to play.

The starter set also include the 'doodles' I like, from FF Tactics.

And these cute again. Highlight to the 'Devout' card. It reminds me of Carnival costumes. And the others remind me of the costumes we used try to imitate to play all the worlds and adventures we used to imagine as kids.


Next up is the almighty FFVII starter set.



(PS: I don't know why, but sometimes my scanner cuts the image...)

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game - FF XIII Starter Set

Never played FF XIII but read it was a good release, even if FF series are not quite like before the X instalment.

Some characters look like the same from game to game. That's a issue to me, because in an RPG, specially in a JRPG, you have to have good/great/memorable characters, and that goes with them being different from each other.

I understand the 3D-almost-like-humans graphics, but the best FF games and cards are precisely the ones with old FF characters. Specially I love these doodles ones.

This Snow card looks like they zoomed in too much in a PS1 game.

Moogle. Always the Mogs! And the little ones, like Bard and Dark Knight.

Next FF post will be with the most significant FF to me, which is FF X, the first I ever had (always new about them but never had a console with those games), and the first game to my PS2.

2018 Topps Big League - Rainbow lucky

24 packs inside my cute Big League box.

I already opened them all, and I must say that I like the design, simple and direct to the point. Don't get why only last 5 years or so of stats in the back, but I'm ok with it..

A couple of years ago I bought some hobby packs from Topps flagship and was hopping to get some of those *hits*. And I got only base cards and a couple of inserts. Nothing to show. But then, I get this simple display retail box and I assure you..I got pretty lucky!

Will post some of the cards in next days by pack colour (the one on top, not the bottom colour). So lets see which colour brought me more good cards.

2018 Topps Big League

The moment you discover that there is a seller in amazone.es that ships to your country, and you can even apply to free shipping!

I take anything that I can get!

Top 10 by Price

I decided to see if my old accounts at Zistle and The Trading Card Database were still alive and after some work from my memory I could manage to log in.

I must say that I added these cards wayyyyyyy back I don't remember when. So I might have to go and re-do all my listings. Which, for a listing-maniac is like Christmas.

One thing I like at The Trading Card Database is the all the top 10s they provide, based on your added cards.

So, based upon the cards I have registered this is my situation:

Only registering around 4,5K cards the values of my collection goes like 2K dollars. Not bad!

So lets see my top 10.

So my card ranking #1 is this beauty commemorative patch from 2009 Topps Update Series.

I like these cards. I have a couple of them, the commemorative patches. But I always thought people used to dislike them because they were things manufactured and not true relics, like pieces of real cloth or bats. Maybe it's because I don't have much cards and tend to appreciate this little things more. They are all kinda important to me, to make me closer to the game.

Notice that the patch is a Reds patch (yeah!) but Tom is wearing a Mets uniform (buhhhhh).

And then my #2 card is also an other commemorative patch from the same set.

I also have a Roy Campanella patch but it does not make the top10.

And the final podium place, ranking #3 (two times) is Altuve RC.

And it seems I even have, at least, two of them. I think after Astros win this is normal to happen, getting a RC card like this to get a better price value.

But this card is one of those that I like besides all those facts. It's mainly because no matter how many times I see it, I have to double-take it in order to see the 3 people in it!

Getting on to #5 I have the Tris Speaker SP, from 2009 Topps (what a year!)

On #6 is one of the many Stephen Strasburg RC variation

I still cannot see him as such a star...but ok.

Now the first Yankee in the house is #7

Well...technically Alex Rodrigues RC card is not a Yankee card, but I take what I get!

And this is one of my favourite Upper Deck sets. It has such good photos!

#8 is the one and only Mickey Mouse! And now in truly Yankees mode!

Ok..this is a cute card.

And also at #8 it's Cal Ripken

You see...Mickey Mouse and Cal Ripken tied.

And I must say that this insert set is one of the ugliest... I can see it working with a relic, but this way, it's just a waste of card space..

And closing top 10 we have two giants

Again Ripken with a Yankee, but not Mickey Mouse. This time around is the insert Timeless Talents with The Captain Jeter.

That's a nice top10 by price. Lets see how it changes when I add more cards.

50 Cities of the World #30 Pekin

Almost done with the Cities of the World collection. 20 more to go!

Today we're visiting Pekin. Which is obvious Beijing.

It seems Beijing is the mandarin word, and Pekin the romanization of it. In Portuguese we still say the romanization form of it 'Pequim'.

Pekin was, and still is, China capital. And it is like one of the most populated cities in the world, their airport is like one of the busiest in the world, not even talking about their underground system!

And even if Pekin is one of the oldest cities in the world, it got quite the modernized capital to represent a country like China. But I think they still keep the old-district with more historical buildings and stuff. I think Asian people tend to admire and preserve better their past and their history than us...They manage to incorporate both old and new like it's the perfect puzzle. That's one of the things I truly admire in them.

About the industry examples the Emperor giving the subjects...LOL that is so funny! When I read something like this I always tend to imagine how would these people feel if they could travel in time and see how far we've come.


If you search for 'Beijing skyline' and compare to the picture in this card...WOW

See Pekin's wiki page here.