I've been busy working on a project again, so I've kind of taken a break from blogging for a while. That project is complete, though there is other work to do. I hope to get back into the swing of things quite quickly.
Meanwhile, temperatures here have been in the triple digits with ultra-high humidity. Not exactly great weather to be out and about. But it is good weather for looking at baseball cards.
Come to think of it, all weather is good weather for looking at baseball cards. Unless you're doing it outside.
I picked up a few cheap packs at Target when I was back in the States in June, including one of these Sticker Collection packs. I had already read that the stickers had been Panini-ized but I'm basically fine with that. I'm glad Panini is (hopefully) getting more printing work even if it's through Topps - they're trying pretty hard to make an entertaining product without using MLB logos.
These stickers don't have that problem, since they're "made" by Topps. What was in the package?
Wade Boggs? Is he still playing? As always, Topps includes a few retired players in the sticker set.
Mascot cards have been growing in popularity, if their inclusion in Topps products is any gauge. They're always in the Opening Day sets and here too. Just please don't turn into a BBM product and put them in every set you make as the checklists for a decade or so!
On to the base cards. Kimbrel I know.
Iwakuma is Japanese... that's pretty cool.
And Johnny Bench is retired, so that's a cool sticker too.
I like the design, even with the somewhat-larger borders due to the sticker size. It's a simple but not boring layout.
Until next time!
"Meanwhile, temperatures here have been in the triple digits with ultra-high humidity. Not exactly great weather to be out and about."
ReplyDeleteHey, if I'd known you were in North Alabama, I'd have dropped by to say "Hi!" Seriously, though, even as busy as you've been you have still managed to post, and I haven't really done anything new in months. I'm going to my first real card show in probably 18 years this weekend, so maybe I'll find some inspiration soon.
As far as the stickers go, I'm glad Topps is doing them again after that 20 year draught. I just bought the sticker album because it comes with a Dave Winfield sticker, and there is even a $1-off coupon on the cover, so it's like $1 total for an album and something like 6 stickers.
Have a good time at that card show - they're few and far between here. There are the two annual TokyoFesta shows but they aren't the same.
ReplyDeleteI put together sticker sets for 2011 and 2012, but haven't bothered with the last three issues. Part of that is where I'm budgeting my card money. But they're still fun, and if I was living in the US I might be trying to build sets still.
Well, the card show was a bust. Only about 20 tables, 10 of which seemed to be devoted to mostly 10 cent commons from 1980-1993, 3 to unopened product and the rest to assorted vintage or other cards that had no place in my collection. I ended up not buying anything at all at the show, and was really surprised at the lack of recent singles for sale.
DeleteBut the drive up and back was a blast as I got to talk sports cards and pro wrestling with JayBarkerFan for a good 4 hours straight. We didn't solve world hunger or anything, but it had been a very long time since I'd had anyone I could have a lengthy and nerdy conversation with about my hobbies. That was worth far more than any card I might have picked up at the show.
That bites, to say the least. I can usually find some interesting things in dime boxes, just to keep from being shut out at least. It sounds a lot like many of the SF-area shows, basically the "same-old same-old" that only novice collectors tend to want.
DeleteTalking shop is great though, I got to do that with my buddy Jim when I was in SF as we hopped around some card shops. I haven't written about that yet (or much of anything for that matter).
Who would ever complain about BBM using mascot cards as team checklists every fricking year...:-) Now if Topps really wants to follow BBM's lead, they'll start having autographed mascot chase cards.
ReplyDelete"Meanwhile, temperatures here have been in the triple digits with ultra-high humidity. " Triple digit temperatures are really impressive when you measure in Celsius :-)
Your complaining aside, I think it's pretty lazy too. There are so many other options for those subsets. And I hate to be the one to break it to you, but there is at least one autographed mascot set out there - Topps Opening Day has had autographs for at least the last three years.
DeleteI'll tell you what, it's a pain going back and forth mentally between Celsius and Fahrenheit. But I assume most of my readers are from the US and can't do the math at all. ... and it's still really hot here, too. I don't remember summers in Tokyo being this oppressive.