Recent Releases and Oddballs: A Trip to Mint Ikebukuro

I say recent, but really I picked these cards up back in late August or September. Most of these are new BBM specialty sets.

Let's have a look!

 This is the Nippon Ham Fighters team set. Actually, this is the foil parallel.

Here's the base card, with no background logo.

Here's another foil parallel. But wait, this one's special!

It's numbered out of 200. It seems that there is at least one serial numbered parallel issue included along with the regular foil parallels. While the front scanned differently, I didn't really notice any difference in the fronts, so you would have to look carefully for the serial numbering.

 BBM's team sets follow a formula this year. Base set, foil parallels, a single, team-themed insert set, and autograph and memorabilia cards.

 BBM's 2nd Version (second series, but with a different card design) has several insert sets. I grabbed this Twin Gem insert.

 A pack-based thematic set is titled No-Hitters. I really like the look of these cards. I might pick up a full base set (which doesn't include every no-hitter ever thrown, I'm sure, though Japan has seen far fewer no-hitters total than MLB). Did you know that the first no-hitter to be thrown in five years in the NPB happened by Kenta Maeda of the Hiroshima Carp in early April?

 Eiji Sawamura threw several no-hitters in his career, back in the 1930s and 1940s.

 Here is the Dragons team set. No major background logo, unlike the Fighters.

 The foil version.

 And the obligatory insert.

 Epoch releases a few historical sets each year. This is a pitcher-themed set entitled Genealogy of the Aces.

 Ahh, BBM 2nd Version base card. Finally.

 Tohto 80th Memorial set. This is a 2011 issue that I believe came in boxed set form. I don't know exactly what Tohto is, other than a collegiate baseball league. All the players are pictured with their colleges.

 I grabbed this Marines insert card from the team set.

 The Giants issued some super-orange cards. This is from 2011.

 Here is the back.

 A different set from 2011. Perhaps the same issue with a different design (like a subset), or possibly a different issue.

 Here's the back. Note the copyright, QR code, etc.

 The issue was repeated this year as well.

 The backs contain less information this time. Again, a QR code is present. Sorry, due to my scanner distorting both scans the QR code can't be scanned. This URL is http://m.yomiuri.co.jp/k/card2012 and the other is http://m.yomiuri.co.jp/k/card2011.

Finally, a special stadium promo card, for August 16th. I can only gather that the card was exclusively available from the stadium, and is basically a parallel of the regular Giants issue.

Here is the back, with a special PR prefix on the card number. My scanner again failed me, cutting off the black border. It's card number PR2.

Team issues like these Giants cards tend to run 200-300 yen each or more in the stores. I need to pick up as many of these as possible when I go to the game from the vending machines, if they're available there!

I have since visited the Ikebukuro Mint (actually, this past weekend) so I have more cards to show, plus a couple more card show visits. This will probably be card store pickup week!

Until then...