My Final 2012 Topps series 1 Purchase

I think this is my last purchase of series 1 for this year.  I've nearly got the whole set and I only ended up with one card I needed for the set out of the 72 in the hanger box.  I've got 10 of the Golden Giveaway Code cards that I'm going to stash away for now.  Well, at least until series 2 comes out and the Markakis gold 1/1 becomes available for redemption.  It's a complete longshot to redeem that one card but you gotta increase your chances any way you can!

I know I've spent less on series 1 this year than I did the last 2 years.  I've bought 1 hobby box, 2 hanger packs, 1 jumbo rack pack, and 3 retail packs.  So overall I've spent about 85 or 90 bucks on series 1.  Not too bad I don't guess.

Overall, I've noticed many of the bloggers have spent less on Series 1 this year and have said so in their respective posts.  If you have spent less this year than years past, leave a comment below stating why you have chosen to spend less.  Is it the design, too many inserts, too little cash or another factor?

So onto the cards I got from my last hanger:

I think the Gold Standard cards are the best inserts from series one because of the gold stamped medallion.  I'll admit they aren't perfect because of the blank space under the medallion but I'm willing to forgive that fact.

I can't seem to get away from Yankees cards lately.  I think the Gold Parallels have grown on me a little bit as I like them more now than I did when the product first dropped so long ago. 

Here's my 2 Target exclusive red borders. I wish they were a little more red though.  They look more maroon to me.

 I was pleasantly surprised to pull a relic from a hanger pack because they are a 1:18 packs pull.  See what I mean about the Yankees cards though?  This is my second Cano relic from the same Target in less than a year (I got a mini framed GQ relic last spring).  Does Robinson's mother shop at my Target?

All of these cards are for trade.  If you see something you can't live without, gimme a shout.

Card Show Pickups: Dime Box Diver Edition

I'll admit that I am a sucker for dime boxes at a card show. I think everybody loves a great deal. One particular dealer at the card show had 2 tables on the end of a square of tables that was full of monster boxes of cards. He probably bought a large collection and just put them all out there for team set builders (like me!) and player collectors to pick out what they wanted. Here we go:

I pulled this card out because I remember seeing somebody's havelist of their Rey Ordonez player collection. I don't remember who it was/is so anybody who knows, please let me know. This is a certified on-card autograph as the back says so I hope the person who needs it may come forward.

These were the dime boxes so I picked up the regular and gold signature Bowman rookie card of CJ Wilson. Since he is the best starting pitcher on Texas' roster right now, I though why the heck not.

I always liked the Spirit of the Game inserts that Donruss had in the mid 90's. I remember pulling the Roberto Alomar one from a pack that I bought at the drug store in town. Man, when was the last time I saw baseball cards at a drug store?
This Robby Cano rookie card was in an unopened opened pack shoved in one of the monster boxes. I guess everybody else who searched through the boxes before me were too lazy to open the wrapper of an already opened pack! Their loss is my gain! I've learned you must be proactive at a card show to get the good deals!

These last two hail from the 1996 Donruss set. Both of these cards are numbered out of 10,000. Ahhh, the 90's! Regardless, they were both decent players so they might be good trade bait!

That's it for the card show. I can't wait until the next one!

Recent eBay Pickup #4

Recently my interest in my player collection of Cal Ripken has greatly increased. As I looked through my binder, I noticed that my collection from 1982 to 1992 was pretty much in order. from 1993 to the present is where there are some blank spots. I began searching eBay for some of the more rare and valuable cards that had eluded me until now. Some of the first "blank" spots in my binder were these two:

When I was organizing the binder umpteen years ago I took the time to fill the spaces with bits of paper with the card. How cute! Well, now in those places I have these to put in the places:

I won each of these auctions for 99 cents a piece and 3 dollars shipping on the Score card and 2.50 on the Select card. I can't complain because the Score books for $25 and the Select books for $20!

I like the Select Stars card better because the front has a glittery effect that makes it more pleasing to the eye whereas "The Franchise" card has a rather drab background but does have a nice portrait on the back.