Thorzul Will Rule

2009 Card-vent Calendar: December 5

2009-12-05T20:19:00.000-08:00

December 5, 2009:
2008 Donruss Sports Legends #72 Rick Majerus "Personally Worn Material" (207/400)

Why is Rick Majerus applauding? I'd like to think it's because of Wisconsin's Big Ten/ACC Challenge victory over Duke earlier this week.

Majerus is a Milwaukee kind of guy through and through. After getting this card out of the calendar today, I looked him up on Wikipedia and found that his first coaching job was for the 8th grade boys' team at the Catholic church which I attend and live two blocks from. I have always held out hope that he would find some way to end his career in some capacity in Milwaukee, be it with Marquette, UWM, or some other team.

His page entry also makes the bold claim that he "enjoys bratwurst." Yeah, just like fish "have gills."

It Came!

2009-12-05T15:29:00.001-08:00

At the beginning of this week, I sent out a distress call to the readers of this blog urging them to help me on a card quest. Awesome reader SpastikMooss pointed me in the right direction of one of the cards. Today it arrived.

2001-02 Topps #247 Tony Parker

As it turned out, I was just slightly off in my eBay search terms. Instead of "2001-02," the card was listed as "01-02." Ususally that site's search algorithms account for the deletion of the first two digits of a year, but I guess is couldn't understand when it happens for two years. Good thing to keep in mind. I was fortunate enough to pick it up for a buck-and-a-half plus shipping. As a redemption card of an almost-decade-old product, and one that probably went very unredeemed at that, I feel very fortunate to have acquired it.

Keeping up my end of the bargain, I contacted this good samaritan and inquired how he would like to access his finder's fee. We came up with an agreement. Instead of the $5.00 straight cash homey, SpastikMooss took me up on the offer of a free spot in the Five Fiddy Group Break.

Speaking of which, please make your payments if you haven't already. Those who have paid are surely eagerly awaiting to see what they will get, so don't keep them waiting. Let's aim for Monday as the deadline. Great teams spots are still available, so look for your favorite and claim it.

2009 Card-vent Calendar: December 4

2009-12-05T08:08:00.001-08:00

December 4, 2009:
1996 Upper Deck/Bandai Alexi Lalas

The dude running the Central American sweatshop that mass produces these Card-vent Calendars really does his homework. I go so far as to say that it wasn't a coincidence that we are getting a soccer card on the day of the 2010 World Cup draw.

For those interested, you can review the entire field here. For those with just a passing interest in the game, I'll take the jingoist route here and take a look at the group the United States finds themselves in for next summer.

Group C:
England
United States
Algeria
Slovenia

Arguably, things could not have gone much better for the U.S. today. (Yesterday, actually. Work Christmas parties get in the way of things like opening little doors on calendars. Sorry. But hey, you get two today.) The opening match against England will be a lot of fun to watch no matter who comes out on top. The U.S. also avoided Pot 4 entrants like France and Portugal. No match will be easy, but I expect a much smoother road than 2006's "Group of Death" in which the Americans could only manage a tie with Italy.

Today's Alexi Lalas card actually comes from his Bandai MLS action figure, very much akin to a Starting Lineup figure. Alexi was seen as a commentator during the marathon World Cup Draw Television Event. That thing was three hours long! Are you fucking kidding me? I think I wore out the FF button on my DVR remote. Damn. I know there's a place and time for in-depth analyses of the Soweto riots and the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela, but this ping-pong fishbowl dog and pony show is not it. Twenty minutes tops next time, FIFA, and Charlize Theron does not get to speak.

El Cheapo Group Break Update!

2009-12-04T15:08:00.000-08:00

Just after posting the information on the group break, I cracked open the Grand Slam tin. Here's what was inside:
*The three McGwire cards promised on the lid
*Two stacks of random cards
*One pack of 1998 Upper Deck Special F?X
*One pack of 1997 Upper Deck Collector's Choice

Lots of good teams are still available. Get in while the getting is good.

Five... Five-Fiddy... Five-Fiddy Group Break (The Return)

2009-12-04T04:25:00.000-08:00

It's back, folks. I can't tell you how good it feels to have accumulated enough fun stuff to finally hold a cheapo group break. I decided to go in the direction of completely unopened stuff, and I've concentrated on the period of time during which only the heartiest of collectors were still buying cards. I've heard countless stories about collectors who have gotten back into the hobby within the last three years or so, with most of those guys and gals getting out at some point in the early-to-mid-1990s. This s a foreign landscape to me, as I imagine it might be to many of you. Let's take a chance together.

I'm sure a bunch of neat inserts will be pulled, perhaps some serial-numbered cards, though I'm not too optimistic about anything more than that. Rest assured, no 1990 Fleer will sneak into the break. Nice!

Before you make up your mind as to whether or not you want to take part, check out exactly what I'll be opening.

(1) 8-pack box of 2004 Upper Deck Power Up!
(1) 21-pack box of 1999 Upper Deck MVP
(1) 10-pack box of 1998 Upper Deck Collector's Choice
(1) 11-pack box of 1999 Topps Stadium Club Series 1
(2) packs of 2007 Topps Series 2
(1) pack of each of the following:
1990 Upper Deck
1996 Score Series 1
1996 Score Series 2
1995 Pinnacle Series 2
2006 Fleer Tradition
2002 Upper Deck Piece of History
2004 Leaf Second Edition
(1) Grand Slam Tin Box (containing 3 Mark McGwire cards and 70 other cards)

If you want in on the group break, post your preferred team in the comments, and then send $5.50 through PayPal to bill13boehm@yahoo.com
(Damn those postage rate increases! And if necessary, cash-through-mail arrangements can also be made, even though they are frowned upon.)

I'll update the slots as soon as payments are made. Hopefully we can find someone for all 30 teams. Multi-team cards will be dealt with the the same upper-left fashion as last time. Sorry, no video on this one, just a logistical nightmare.

Slots:
NL Central
Brewers: Thorzul (proprietor)
Cardinals: madding (paid)
Reds:
Pirates:
Cubs:
Astros:

NL East
Braves: dayf
Mets:
Phillies: Phungo
Marlins:
Nationals/Expos: Mad Guru (paid)

NL West
Rockies:
Dodgers: Night Owl (paid)
Padres: Rod
Diamondbacks:
Giants:

AL Central
Twins: Zpop
Indians: Saints of the Cheap Seats (paid)
White Sox:
Royals:
Tigers: Grand Cards (paid)

AL East
Yankees:
Rays:
Red Sox: packaddict
Orioles: Kevin
Blue Jays:

AL West
Mariners: SpastikMooss (paid)
A's: Motherscratcher (paid)
Rangers:
Angels: RWH (paid)

2009 Card-vent Calendar: December 3

2009-12-03T14:30:00.000-08:00

December 3, 2009:
1995 Score #209 Darryl Strawberry

Somewhere in San Francisco, Summer, 1994...

Dusty Baker (Giants Manager): I don't care how the Mets dealt with that shit, you do not bring cocaine onto San Francisco Giants property.

Darryl Strawberry: I don't wanna play baseball today.

DB: That's fine with me... there ain't no damn way you were getting in tonight's lineup anyway, no way, no how!

DS: I don't wanna be a baseball player. You're a baseball player!

DB: Now that doesn't make any damn sense.

DS: You're a damn sense! You're a poopy head!

DB: Now you done it. You didn't need to go there, but you took it there. Go sit in the Uncooperative Chair.

DS: You're a un-cop-a-tive chair! Go be a poopy head! I don't wanna play baseball anymore!

DB: Don't you make me go and get Dick Pole. Do not make me get Dick Pole. Dick Pole does not need some getting, but if you make me, I will go and get Dick Pole.

DS: You're a Dick Pole! Dick Pole poopy farts! Poopy farts! Poopy farts! Poopy farts! Poopy farts! Poopy farts! You are a poopy fart!

DB (to himself): Lord, what am I gonna do with this boy? They best cancel this whole damn season, far as I'm concerned.

Aaaaaaaaaand, scene!

Thus endeth the set-up for the greatest pouting session ever documented on cardboard. So much for three days in a row of smiling baseball players. Makes me wonder who tomorrow's malcontent will be.

You keep reading, I'll keep writing. See you in 24 or less!

2009 Card-vent Calendar: December 2

2009-12-02T17:34:00.001-08:00

December 2, 2009:
1991 Donruss Studio #163 Rob Dibble

You've got to hand it to the guy; a lot of players half-ass those studio card sessions, but at some point in the late fall of 1990, Rob Dibble, giddy from the high of a Cincinnati Reds World Series victory, went whole-hog on the good people over at Donruss/Leaf. I think it's refreshing to see one of the "Nasty Boys" show a rarely-seen side of himself. To most of the non-card-collecting world, Dibble is all head-seeking fastballs and locker room punches, but to those in the know he is all about helping old ladies across the street and paying a little extra on parking tickets for the meter maid's public service.

The American flag pin in the center of his cap's "C" really ties the whole photo session together. Rumor has it that Rob is one of the world's foremost collectors of Anne Geddes memorabilia, including original camera negatives and limited-edition signed and numbered prints.

Kind of weird, this year is starting out with smiley baseball players. I can't wait to open tomorrow's door to see if the trend continues.

While you at it, check out this hilarious article. Honestly, it took me a few paragraphs to fully realize it was a satire. The spirit of Christmas is now fully upon us.

2009 Card-vent Calendar: December 1

2009-12-01T18:44:00.000-08:00

The patience you people have shown has been astonishing. Yesterday I promised you the long-awaited return of the Card-vent Calendar, and what do I stick you with this morning but a shameless plea for you to do the dirty work of collecting for me. Despicable on my part, if you ask me. All I can do to make up for it is promise that this will be the best Card-vent ever. Like Trade Me Anything!, this is the third incarnation of this event. I can't believe this blog is still around. My original intent had little to nothing to do with cards, yet here I am, touting "Third Annual" events like I'm some sort of charity golf tournament.

If you weren't around for the first two Card-vent Calendars, here's the barebones description. Every December, I purchase a very special Advent calendar that, in lieu of chocolate, contains all sorts of great cards behind those darling cardboard doors. It's like the world's greatest pack of cards, except I am only allowed to open one card at a time for the duration of the 24 days. Much rejoicing ensues.

At last, 341 days after opening the last door from last year, we are ready for this year's big kick-off. I, for one, am pumped.

December 1, 2009:
2005 Upper Deck Classics #34 Frank Howard

Well, gal-durn, I thought I was excited for Card-vent to begin. Big ol' Frank Howard is pumping his fist in the patented Kevin McAllister "Yes!" gesture that captivated audiences back in 1990. To top it off, he brought out his good Sunday afternoon glasses so as to view the rest of the calendar with crystal clarity. If this card is a sign of things to come, we're in for a wild and bumpy ride.

For a walk down Memory Lane, here are the calendars from previous years:
2008
2007

I Want to Give You Money!

2009-12-01T05:30:00.000-08:00

Let's call it a finder's fee. There are two cards that I've been on the lookout for that I have not yet managed to find for sale. If you can find either of these cards, direct me to them. If this guidance results in me being able to acquire the card, I will pay you $$$five dollars$$$ for your time.

Here are the cards I'm looking for:

2009 Goudey 4-in-1 #32. This card features CC Sabathia along with Johan Santan, Cole Hamels, and Scott Kazmir. The catch is, I need to find the black parallel, which is numbered to 21.

2001-02 Topps Basketball #247 Tony Parker. When looking for this card, I have run across a lot of Topps Chrome, but this is not what I am seeking. I need the regular old Topps version of the card.

I have found an unredeemed redemption card for the Tony Parker on the Beckett Marketplace, but these redemptions have long since expired. I would really like to find this card before proceeding with the collecting of the rest of this set. Here's a look at the real thing. Help me find it, and I'll make it worth your while.

Trade Me Anything! III: Trade #17

2009-11-30T06:45:00.000-08:00

We may have come to the end of the road, folks. This is what I believe to be the final trade of Trade Me Anything! III, and I must say it has been nothing less than a rousing success. What perfect timing, too, with the Card-vent 2009 beginning tomorrow. Aren't you excited? I know I sure am. This last one comes from Erin in Texas.

Giving: 2009 Topps Updates & Highlights Propaganda # PP27 Tim Lincecum

Getting: 2009 Topps Heritage Chrome #C21 Mat Gamel (0002/1960)

Pluses:
*One card is really all I expect to receive, and it makes posting the trade quite a bit easier. Short and sweet is sometimes the best option.

*Great card of a promising local player. I'd be tempted to try to sell this and perhaps use the profits to buy Mat another "t" for his name, but I like it too much. This one is going straight into the Gamel page of my Brewers binder.

Minuses:
*Nothing, except that it's an eleven-month wait until Trade Me Anything returns.

Thanks to all the traders and their generosity. Stay tuned for the Card-vent Calendar!

Trade Me Anything! III: Trade #16

2009-11-29T12:16:00.000-08:00

Another day, another trade. This one came from Jason in Kentucky. He sent a rather girthy plain white envelope (personally, my favorite way to send and receive cards, no offense to the S.O.B.'s down at the padded manilla envelope factory) that looked about to burst if I didn't open it immediately.

Giving: 2009 Topps Updates & Highlights Topps Town Blue #TTT57 Joey Votto

Getting: Three packs of 1988 Topps Baseball Yearbook Stickers

Pluses:
*Well thought-out trade. I am, after all, the king of all things sticker. (At least I held that title in the years 1986-1987.)

*The stickers were infinitely more collectable in 1988 than previous offerings. I opened up one pack to check the cards/sticks out, and here's what I got:
Fronts: 162 Willie Randolph All-Star, 274 Kent Hrbek, 68/177 Orel Hershiser/Dick Schofield, 7/276 Nolan Ryan/Bert Blyleven, 92/246 Bob Brenly/Sam Horn

Backs: 8 Mike Schmidt, 17 Jeffrey Leonard, 54 Dave Winfield, 16 Tony Gwynn, 21 Darryl Strawberry

Minuses:
*The gum was not at its freshest.

(Editor's Note: The connection between the Joey Votto card and the DVD background is a tenuous one at best. If you can figure it out, give yourself a pat on the back.)

Trade Me Anything! III: Trade #15

2009-11-28T07:18:00.001-08:00

Not too long after I announced the commencement of Trade Me Anything! III, I got an email from Noah in New York claiming he had "a whole mess of Brewers" for me. Since that's the language I speak, we made a deal.

Giving: 2009 Topps Updates & Highlights Gold #UH202 Angel Berroa (0672/2009)

Getting: A whole mess of Brewers. Here are five out of close to 200 that I've chosen for various reasons:

2007 Allen & Ginter #290 Prince Fielder (Nice close-up, nothing flashy. I probably have ten of this card by now.)

1981 Fleer #511 Robin Yount (The Kid, before he started shaving. Got a lot of this one, too.)

1996 Pinnacle Denny's #26 Kevin Seitzer (This one was from the "Oh, I suppose we have to make one for every team, so why not this guy" phase of the Brewers 15-year post-Molitor/post-Yount rebuilding phase. Moon Over My Hammy indeed.)

2002 Topps Total #639 Curtis Leskanic (Digging deep into the roster for this one. "Scanner" was not a fan favorite by any means, but he will remain forever in our hearts.)

2003 Topps #277 Jerry Royster (The face of baseball futility in Milwaukee. Royster took over 15 games into the season and helped us achieve our first and only 100-loss season. I've never seen a team quit on a manager or coach like they did on Royster. To this day, his name has become synonymous with "two runners standing on third base.")

Pluses:
*Quantity.

*There were also a few non-Brewers in the lot, my favorites of which were the trio of 1983 Donruss Hall of Fame Heroes below, #4 Josh Gibson, #11 Satchel Paige, and #25 James Bell.

Minuses:
*No SASE. Man.

Don't worry, I'm in a good holiday mood, so your card will be in the mail as soon as I can find a stamp.

Black Friday Steals!!!

2009-11-27T13:10:00.001-08:00

If you're anything like me, you woke up at 4:45 Central time this morning and tried (and failed) to get in on some of the sweet deals at Blowout Cards. If you're even more like me, this happened at the in-laws' house where you were at the mercy of dial-up internet service, so any attempt was null and void to begin with. And if you're really, really like me, you don't turn your nose up at a good deal.
As of right now, I've got some nice cards at very reasonable prices on the eBay auction block ending this weekend. Yes, I'm setting some cards free, most of which are still at $0.99 with the fairest shipping prices known to man. Below are scans of the goods.
If you see anything you like, CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Happy bidding.

(Editor's Note: Jim Gaffigan wants you to bid.)

Trade Me Anything! III: Trade #14

2009-11-24T18:14:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you remember a week ago, I was traded little more than a self-addressed stamped envelope. Like Dr. Samuel Beckett (once he stepped into the Quantum Leap accelarator -- and vanished) who tried to put right what once went wrong, so has BigD made trading amends.

Giving: 2009 Topps Updates & Highlights Topps Town Blue #TTT68 Michael Young, #TTT75 Alexei Ramirez, and Topps Town Gold #FCTTT75 Alexei Ramirez

Getting: A whole bunch of random oddballs and Wisconsin-centered cards. Here are my favorites from the lot:
2008 Topps Chrome #209 Fernando Hernandez and Xfractor #203 Gregor Blanco

2009 Score #324 Clay Matthews

1989 Topps #373 Don Majkowski

1992 Skybox #365 Bucks Team Card

1993-94 Topps Stadium Club #223 Frank Brickowski

And a Spider-Man sticker

Pluses:
*Not too long ago, my wife told me about philosophical stance Oprah likes to take called "The Secret" wherein you just "put things out into the universe" and hopefully they come to pass. I swear on my mother's life that I had not yet opened this trade package until I had finished writing yesterday's post in which I pined away for a card of a slow big white guy on the Bucks, namely Frank Brickowski. That's pretty eerie if you ask me. There was also a card of Brad Lohaus, the Bucks' 7-footer who exclusively shot 3-pointers.

*Clay Matthews has had a great rookie season. I guess you just can't teach pedigree. He's everything A.J. Hawk is not.

*Two cards closer to that 2008 Topps Chrome set. Man, that thing looks great in a binder! Here's to fewer empty pockets.

Minuses:
*I'm really getting tired of those gum disease cards. I'm not showing it here, but there was one in the package. Those things get passed around more than a 10-foot doobie. Who's to blame for this? Identify yourself!

*While I really dig the sticker, DC kicks Marvel's ass.

Thanks, BigD, your cards are on their way!

And sorry to go so scholarly on you guys with the second background DVD. I'm guessing outside of myself, only members of the American Society of Cinematographers own that one. Yo Soy Cuba.

Trade Me Anything! III: Trade #13

2009-11-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

The Collective Troll sent this latest trade. If he was serving up this trade in a diner, it might be referred to as "a heaping plate of anything, extra anything." Check it out.

Giving: 2009 Topps Updates & Highlights Gold #UH24 Gabe Gross (0821/2009) and Propaganda #PP10 Evan Longoria

Getting: A pack of Upper Deck World Cup '94 cards, a pack of 1992 Score Italian Calcio cards...

...a random assortment of cards and trinkets, including a 1981 Ben Oglivie card, a pack of Texaco Star Team NASCAR cards, a coupon for $2 off a blaster of 2009 O-Pee-Chee, a Charlotte Stone Crabs 2009 schedule, a Jeff Grayer card, a bunch of 1982 Topps cards from my want list (best represented by the Steve Carlton amputee Highlight card), a 1987 Topps Coin of Von Hayes, and a 20c South African coin...

...with the trade being rounded out by a series of Bradentucky Bombers All-Girl Roller Derby flyers

Pluses:
*Isn't that Stone Crabs logo spectacular? They took the colors of the Memphis Grizzlies and made a logo that's easily ten... no, fifteen times better. It will take all of my willpower not to order this T-shirt within the next 24 hours.

*The Upper Deck football cards are genuinely intriguing. I actually put together the whole set of the American version of the cards (including the Mia Hamm rookie), but these look like the German variation. Hau ab!
The Score aren't so bad, either. Looks like Ruud Gullit on the front. I'm hoping for either him or a Roberto Donadoni.

*I was actually withholding one of the rollergirl cards. Check out this one that pays homage to Russ Meyer's Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

(I do own that DVD as well. "But, how can that be?" you shriek exasperatedly. Do not forget about French Region 2 imports and region-free DVD players, kids.)

Minuses:
*Jeff Grayer? At least go with one of the slow white guys. If not a Fred Roberts, then at least a Frank Brickowski.

*Six letters: N-A-S-C-A-R. This pack will never be opened.

*I haven't seen an O-Pee-Chee blaster at my Target in months. New Year's Eve, perhaps?

Oh, and there's no background DVD today. I searched and searched, but nothing seemed right. (Don't own Ray or Evan Almighty.) Sure, I could have made a stretch, but it would have sucked. Why cheapen a universally-held tradition?

Trade Me Anything! III: Trade #12

2009-11-23T06:35:00.000-08:00

This one comes from everybody's favorite Oregon-based Cardinals fan, madding. I expect nothing less than an honest, straight-up trade that benefits both traders equally.

Giving: 2009 Topps Turkey Red #TR123 Roy Halladay

Getting: A pristine, uncut panel of cards from a 1990 issue of Topps Magazine, featuring #TM12 Robin Yount (along with Bo Jackson, Nolan Ryan, Will Clark, and on the back Joe Morgan, Jim Palmer, Ben McDonald, and John Olerud)...

...and a Bausch & Lomb Pre-Moistened Lens Cleaning Tissue

Pluses:
*A Robin Yount card I don't have?!?! My goodness! Believe me, I checked through my Yount binders looking for this thing. It seems a normal enough oddball card (if there is such a thing), but for some reason I've never managed to acquire it. In any form, torn or not. Until now. Nicely done, madding. I stand and applaud thee.

*I do wear glasses when distance viewing becomes necessary.

Minuses:
*I cannot think of a single negative thing to say about this trade. Trading blind is sometimes the best way.

(Editor's Note: The research department here at Thorzul Will Rule knew very little about Roy Halladay, but managed to find the perfect movie with which to provide a backdrop for his card. Kudos to our crack fact-finding team! Can you figure it out?)

Trade Me Anything! III: Trade #11

2009-11-22T07:38:00.001-08:00

A package bearing a return address sticker featuring a polar bear and her cub showed up on my doorstep. These were signals that the trade from the madguru had arrived at last. The contents included a little bit of everything. Let's peer inside.

Giving: 2009 Topps Updates & Highlights Propaganda #PP1 Adam Dunn

Getting: A bunch of 1981 Topps...

...an autographed 1991 Fleer #577 Greg Brock...

...an empty box of ShurFine stuffing mix...

...a postcard of County Stadium depicting the 1957 World Series...

...and the book Waiting Game, by Debra Heimerdinger and John Krich

Pluses:
*One more card for the autograph section of my Brewers binder.

*That County Stadium card is damn cool. At first glance, I thought it was a photograph, but it's actually a painting called "County Stadium Classic" by Andy Jurinko. Game 5 of the Series was chosen as the subject matter, the last time the World Series visited my town. Will it return to "Bushville" again? Only time will tell.

*Waiting Game is an oddity, yet strangely fascinating. The cover picture pretty much sums up the inner contents. This bit of photojournalism, published in 1982, concerns everything about baseball but the game itself. By focusing on the minutiae of the game, the photographer creates a sense of clinical detachment. With shots of empty stadiums, piles of equipment, and lollygagging players, we get a look at baseball as if it were invented by Alain Resnais, not Abner Doubleday. Baseball as metaphysical crisis. Chilling.

Minuses:
*That stuffing looks delicious, but there's none left for me. Alas, four more days of waiting.

*I already had all of the 1981 Topps cards. That set is complete, as of about two years ago. Just a reminder to people that everything listed by year in the sidebar is for trade or for sale. I spent the better part of the year cataloguing my unwanted cards, so hit me up if there's something you need. Cards I am looking for to complete sets are listed under "Wants and Needs." Madguru realized his mistake soon after sending the cards. Eh, shtuff happens.

Solve the background riddle, anyone?

Trade Me Anything! III: Trade #10

2009-11-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

Well, somehow I escaped a visit from Anton Chigurh with my life, so now it's time to see what else somebody traded me. This next one comes from Fabian in California.

Giving: 2009 Topps updates & Highlights #UH89 Phil Hughes, Topps Town Blue #TTT64 Jorge Posada and #TTT51 Mariano Rivera

Getting. A messload of Brewers. I'll take the time to show you my three favorites: 2001 Upper Deck Decade #51 Don Money, 1998 Upper Deck Collector's Choice #404 John Jaha, and 2001 Fleer Ultra #45 Jeromy Burnitz

Pluses:
*Any Don Money card is automatically awesome. He could probably have played third base for any team at any point in history, yet he spent a really long time in Milwaukee. (Okay, maybe not the 1980s Orioles.) Plus, he looked a lot like my dad.

See? Shave the mustache, and my dad would have been playing in the infield right next to Robin Yount. (And yes, that is me. That picture was taken at the Milwaukee County Zoo at some point in the very early '80s.)

*John Jaha is swinging a sledgehammer. A fucking sledgehammer.

Minuses:
*No Fielders, no Brauns, and a Yount I already have several copies of. Those Brewers between like 1994 and 2006 are just a black hole of failure. I just can't bring myself to show them to you. We sucked then, and I never want to go back. Thank God we can always count on those Pittsburgh Pirates to rescue us from last place.

Celebrity Pack Rip: Anton Chigurh - 2008 Topps Series 2

2009-11-20T18:59:00.000-08:00

As promised earlier this week, I decided to invite a celebrity pack breaker. The guest this time is Anton Chigurh. He came over, we had a look at my collection, and then we got into some wax. I made him keep his captive bolt pistol in his car, and he begrudgingly complied.

I had originally intended to get him on video opening the pack of 1989 Donruss I got from dayf, but that didn't work out quite according to plan. As a substitute, we were able to scrounge up a pack of 2008 Topps. Enjoy.

If you want, check out some of the earlier Celebrity Pack Breaks:
Carl Brutanadilewski (from Aqua Teen Hunger Force)
Mike Schank

D-O-O-N... "Done"

2009-11-20T06:45:00.000-08:00

Another set I've been building has been completed, 2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces. I was fortunate enough to find an eBay seller getting ride of these for pennies on the dollar, and he had the remaining four I needed.
#93 Frank Robinson, #107 Lou Brock, #120 Joe Carter, and #102 Nolan Ryan

I feel pretty bad just storing the 2007 and 2008 sets in a regular old box, so I might need to stock up on 9-card pages with which to properly display these, well, Masterpieces.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who made the completion of this set possible. So, not necessarily in order of importance, I'd like to thank:
*eBay case busters who sell near-complete sets for starting bids of $0.99
*Cito Gaston
*The original Broadway cast of Rent, who got me through the tough times when I thought I'd never finish
*Willem Dafoe, for unnamed considerations
*The caffeinated beverage bottling industry of southeastern Wisconsin
*Alan Smithee
*The men and women of our armed forces

In closing, I'd like to say: Rethink your decision, Upper Deck. MLB license or not, 2010 Masterpieces could be the salvo you're looking for. If we as Americans can not have a Masterpieces set to collect, then the terrorists have already won.

Trade Me Anything! III: Trade #9

2009-11-19T06:40:00.000-08:00

Pat from Virginia sent the latest trade. He's a smart guy, because he reads the blog, and he uses the want lists as a reference for trades.

Giving: 2009 Topps Updates & Highlights #TTT72 Jacoby Ellsbury Topps Town Blue

Getting: A couple of 1992 Upper Deck cards...

...a bunch of 2008 Upper Deck Heroes charcoal parallels...

...three 2008 Topps Chrome Xfractors...

...and a mess of Brewers

Pluses:
*Knocking out big chunks of my want list is always a huge positive.

*Double pluses for trading me retail-only parallels that I am dumb enough to try to complete.

*The Prince Generation Now cards made me reminisce about the chase after that set.

Minuses:
*Got all the Brewers he sent.

*In weak moment, I bought the Luke Scott card on eBay a couple of days ago. Rats!

*I am now one card closer to finishing my 1992 Upper Deck set. I wish I were completely done, but Pat sent me #77 Carlos Rodriguez, while the card I actually need is #75. I know what you're thinking: Will it take me 17 calendar years to finish that set, or will it be 18? Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?

New Look

2009-11-18T19:49:00.000-08:00

For the last couple of weeks, I've been feeling a little like Marge Simpson when she tried to stretch that Chanel suit into a week's worth of outfits. It was time for a new look, and I wasn't looking forward to having the women at the Springfield Country Club make double entendres about changing suits while we have our regular card game.

If you haven't noticed, I freshened up the look of the blog a little bit by inserting a new banner title. And I'd like to thank... myself for creating it. For someone with no digital image manipulation skill whatsoever, I'm happy with how it looks.

I'm sure Don Draper would approve.
What do you think?

Trade Me Anything! III: Trade #8

2009-11-18T06:45:00.000-08:00

As you may already know, dayf's always in on this piece, and this year is no different. Dude's traded me MLB-themed AOL discs, Packers with Afros, and even some collectable pirate punch-out pieces game that I had no clue what to do with. This year he sent me a big ol' envelope. Let's see what's inside.

Giving: 2009 Topps Updates & Highlights #UH152 Barbaro (I'm Not the Horse) Canizares, Topps Town Blue #TTT74 Brian McCann, and Turkey Red #TR110 Yunel Escobar

Getting: Three comic books: Mystery Incorporated #1, Miami Mice #1, and Mantra #5...

...Zombies Don't Play Soccer Audiobook...

...a pack of 1989 Donruss baseball cards...

...and a 5-spot of commons I needed for my '09 U&H set

Pluses:
*dayf knows I'm down with the comics. Most of my collection is made up of books from the two big publishers, Marvel and DC, so it's nice to get to take a look at something else. I mainly collect Batman books, Green Lantern, anything by Garth Ennis, Silver Surfer, Daredevil, any Justice League titles, Marvel G.I. Joe books, and the guaranteed laugh-a-page Deadpool. I just raided Half Price Books' clearance boxes, so with these I should be good and stocked up until the holidays.

As you can see above, I need to do a little cleaning. It's OK if cards and comics are mixed, but a little order needs to be restored. And are those 2007 Topps Heritage felts sitting on a Preacher trade paperback? Indeed they are. I would also like to make a disclaimer about the empty box of MLS cards at the far right. They were a free gift from Dave and Adam's, and they were the least fun I have ever had opening a box of cards. Yuck.

*dayf stuck little notes all over everything he traded me. I removed most of them, but left in a few of the funnier ones. There's the "boobs" one on Mantra above, and here's one from the back of the same ish.

*One of the notes informed me that the creator of Miami Mice, Mark Bode, is the son of the cartoonist Vaughn Bode. I previously only knew the name from the Beastie Boys song but never really checked into who he was. Consider my horizons broadened.

*The '89 D'russ is some good ammo for a video pack break. This works out perfectly because I've lined up a celebrity ripper who will stop by to open it. I won't tell you who it is, but I'll give you a clue: Awful hair.
Stay tuned...

Minuses:
*An audiobook is no good to a teacher unless it is accompanied by a set of actual books, preferably no fewer than five. Consider this destined for the prize box.

The trades from dayf keep getting crazier. I can't wait until next year's.

What the Hell Happened to This Card?

2009-11-17T15:50:00.000-08:00

At some point last year, I made the decision to collect the entire set of 2008 Topps Chrome baseball cards. I definitely agreed with Mario at Wax Heaven that this was one of the most fun sets to collect in a long time. There was something interesting in almost every pack, and as time has gone on, I have realized that the hardest part of the base set, the autographed rookies, can be obtained fairly inexpensively. As of this moment, I am one auto card away from having them all, which is actually fewer than I need for the base set. I loved the look of the Xfractors as well, and decided to have a go at them as well.

Yesterday, the second-to-last rookie autograph I needed came in the mail. When I got around to putting the Armando Galarraga card in my binder last night, I noticed something strange on the back. I'm including the next card in the set, Chin-Lung Hu, as a control sample. Can you spot the irregularity?

If you'll notice, the card number is almost invisible. If you look real hard, you can kind of see the 227. Also note that the size of the number is off a little as well. On the Hu, as on all of the other cards in the set, the number text extends outside of the borders of the circle, but here the 227 lies completely within the orange circle.

The other thing that's weird can't quite be communicated through a picture, but you can sort of make it out. When I touch the area where the number is, I can feel a small raised surface in the shape of a circle. There's actually a small transparent sticker on the back of this card. Whoever or whatever affixed the sticker didn't hit the orange circle right on the mark; rather, it is off-center a little to the left (tending toward the NW if it were a compass). If you look at the blue area to the left of the circle, you can see a crescent-shaped outline.

What happened to this card? Have you seen anything like it before? Is this some sort of production proof? I'm guessing that the Galarraga, like some of the rookies in the set, was a redemption, though that might not be the case. If you can give me any help at all, I'd appreciate it.

Trade Me Anything! III: Trade #7

2009-11-16T18:32:00.000-08:00

It's Monday, I'm counting down the days until Thanksgiving break starts (7 school, if it matters), and it's time for another trade. Could be anything. The next envelope is from Bill in Virginia.

Giving: 2009 Topps Updates & Highlights #TTT54 Adam Jones Topps Town Blue

Getting: 1969-70 Topps #14 Jon McGlocklin, the cut-out cover of the July 26, 1975 issue of The Sporting News featuring Robin Yount

Pluses:
*Yount.
Young.
Youthful.
Yes.

*I actually have a funny anecdote about Jon McGlocklin. In Milwaukee, he is still a pretty high-profile guy, seeing as he's the Bucks color man on the Fox Sports TV broadcasts. One of my aunts is a nurse at one of the hospitals in town, and at one gathering, talk turned to any famous patients she has cared for. I believe that when it came to "Johnny Mac," the phrase she used was something like "such a big baby." Afraid of needles much?

Minuses:
*Absolutely nothing. This is probably going to be my favorite trade of Trade Me Anything! III.