The Grady Bunch

Grady M has been a long time reader of Sport Card Collectors and follower of my Facebook page. I just recently brought back my Facebook page and renamed it Cards Over Coffee in case you are interested in following it. I post mail days on there you won't see on here. Same goes for Instagram and Twitter for Cards Over Coffee.

Grady recently mailed one of his goodie boxes that he sends my way a few times a year and I couldn't have been happier. These boxes are always loaded with fun/shiny items from a variety of sports. Sometimes there are even some surprises.

I opened the box and placed all of the contents inside of a box lid so I can go through it card by card and sort as I go.

It took me quite awhile to go through all of this and I will start to post some, not all, of the fun discoveries within. I could never get them all up on here. But, the ones I have chosen to show will still take a couple of posts.

You can also check out a few of the cards I wrote about over Cards Over Coffee that you can read, here, Trying The Off Brand

I can't wait to start showing some of this off starting next week. So come back if this kinda thing intrigues you, even if it doesn't, please come back anyways.

Have a great day!

The Magic Of The 2017 Baseball Card Season

Was it just me or was collecting baseball cards in 2017 insane?

I can't remember a time in my life when I walked into my card section at Walmart just to take a peek at what was available for baseball cards and all I saw was this...

Hear the crickets?

It was great for the hobby, just not for me and other collectors who sought product out to open if we didn't time it right.

Most of the time it wasn't just the availability of product either, it was the cost. A lot of people would go to retail outlets and buy them out just to sell them for twice online knowing they could get it. The dangers of supply and demand. Even hobby products were driven up in price because of how hot the 2017 season was.

Why was it so hot? Well it was driven by a rookie named Aaron Judge who nobody expected to be as good as he was. With every home run he hit, another retail product left the shelves after release and another hobby product went up in price.

Not since the Furby/Beanie Baby run of the 90's or the Cabbage Patch doll run of the 80's have I seen such craze.

I still have some of my Beanie Babies that are only now worth the value I put on them

This isn't an original from the 80's, but a mid-90's mini toy doll that my wife still had

As the year went on Judge wasn't the only one driving products. There were other great rookies as well.

There was another guy named Cody Bellinger. The only problem with him, collectors had to wait on finding his cards as he didn't have any "true" rookie cards on the market until Walmart Exclusive Bowman Platinum was released. If you wanna talk about a fast sell out of a product, not sure I have ever seen one leave as fast as that one. I never even saw a wrapper.

 

Though Judge and Bellinger were the most sought after, that didn't mean they were alone in carrying the 2017 products. Not with names like Bregman (Astros), Moncada (White Sox), Bell (Pirates) and Benintendi (Red Sox) also played really well under the radar. You then throw in Rhys Hoskins who had a late season surge for the Phillies and was found in some late Bowman products and you have plenty of reasons for the chase.

What also continued to carry the 2017 MLB products was the home run chase between the Judge and Bellinger for the rookie record and the fact that the teams they played on could make a deep playoff run. Aaron Judge ended up winning the home run chase and set a rookie record of 52 home runs vs Bellinger's 39. However, Bellinger's Dodgers advanced to the World Series while the Yankees and Judge fell one short. 

It was a rookie season for the ages for those two and one for the ages for the baseball card market and most likely a record one for sales.

I even found myself falling into in the hype chasing down as many Aaron Judge cards I could trade for and finding myself watching/following baseball again and not just collecting it like I had been. The old days of baseball when I watching Ken Griffey Jr play and watching the Yanks had returned for me! All because of one season.

I know I wasn't alone in this either. I watched many collectors return last year to collecting baseball cards and newer ones at that including my father who had been only collecting vintage. He was drawn into the Bellinger and Judge hype as well and started his own chase for their cards. We even did a few trades to help each other out.

With 2018 Topps Series one just a few weeks away from release, I wonder if 2018 will have the same impact as 2017 or if we will ever see a baseball card season like that one ever again. All I know is, I won't be taking any chances this year and will be chasing any rookie I can get my hands onto. You just never know who could be the next super star in 2018.

Trading With Pops And Killin' It

I have tweeted out a few times and even posted on here how I got my father back into collecting and how his collection in just a few years had far surpassed mine of 24 years.

For the first time since I got him back into collecting, we decided to pull off a trade.

There was a few rookie cards he was in need of and there was one card he had I desperately wanted. After a few minutes literally, we struck a deal.

First I will show you a card he tossed in for free, this is a tough to pull rubies insert from 98-99 Skybox Premium. There are only 25 of them made, which in today's collecting means nothing. but back then it meant a lot. It's also an insert I didn't have so I always welcome those additions.

Did I mention it was shiny??

Then came the card I desperately wanted and finally talked him out of to give up....a 1995 Sp Ken Griffey Jr Buyback auto. For being that old, the auto is still really sharp and the overall card to me pops. It's on one of my favorite Sp designs.

The card also comes with an authenticity paper which he put behind the penny sleeve in the top loader. I didn't take a picture of card back because of this.

I was happy to be able to trade with him as it brought back some good memories from my childhood when we would trade. We have discussed future trades down the road but not sure any of them will ever top this.

1996 Spx Baseball Set Needs

A few months, at least, ago I showed off a box of 1996 Spx baseball that I busted and mentioned I wanted to complete the set of. Well, I finally have those needs down in writing. 

Here is what I am missing. 30 to be exact:

 60,57,56,53,52,51,50,48,46,44,43,42,41,40,39,38,36,33,32,31,28,24,23,22,19,16,15,12,10,7

In case you forgot what the cards looked like, these are actually the Gold Parallels, but you get the point:

 

Completion of this set would help me cross off another project from my 90's Spx set project. You can see what I have already completed, HERE.

Wrappers Of Collecting Past:1994 Topps Baseball Series 1

Here comes another one of those unopened packs I have been storing away. This is a product I felt you could find everywhere.

I even found half a box at a yard sale 10 years ago and have held onto a few packs to open later on. I don't remember opening any back in 1994, which was my second year in the hobby, but I did bust a lot of the football version that after seeing this one had the much better design and parallels.

 

So what do you guys think? You bust a lot of '94 Topps baseball back in the day? What was your favorite card from the base set? Let me know below!

Wrappers Of Collecting Past:1999 Upper Deck Century Legends Baseball

Upper Deck Legends was a red hot brand out in 1997. The on-card autographs of NFL greats sold extremely well and still do today.

A couple years later, Upper Deck released a Century Legends baseball product and I knew I had to jump in on a few packs.

 

I never actually hit anything out of it at all and the product sold pretty fast locally so I was only able to scoop up a few packs.

A couple of years ago I was able to pick up some base card singles off a yard sale for the PC but other than that, I haven't seen much of the product around. 

How bout you guys? You pull that big auto from it? A historical memorabilia card? let me know below!

Wrappers Of Collecting Past:2002 Bowman Baseball

Let's go back to 2002. A year I must remember quite well as it was the year I met my wife. Those of you that are married know it's not good to forget important dates and years especially in the first year you were together.

Well, the one thing about my wife is that she likes to bust cardboard. She isn't one that collects, but loves to open and find the hits or my favorite players. So more than likely we busted some 2002 Bowman.

 

The wrapper does look familiar but as for what I may have gotten, it couldn't have been anything too big as I forgot about it. It's probably the only thing I forgot about in 2002.

However, it was a product loaded with a good rookie class with players like Joe Mauer and Fransico Liriano.

So I pass it on to you guys...you remember any good hits or pulls from 2002 Bowman? What was your favorite rookie/prospect card from the set? Let me know in comments!

Wrappers Of Collecting Past:1996 Collectors Choice Baseball Series 2

If this wrapper does not scream the 90's at you or doesn't make you think about Saved By The Bell at least, you were born in the 2000's.

At least in my opinion.

 

I remember busting this stuff because it was not only cheap, but I was chasing down my Griffey needs. I also liked chasing down the Cal Ripken Jr Collection insert cards.

So how bout you guys? Bust any? 

Let me know in comments!

BASEically Awesome Part 13:1994 Collectors Choice Baseball

Are you surprised to see another Upper Deck set on BASEically Awesome? Probably not. As I have discussed in prior parts Upper Deck=photography and their special photography makes their base cards stand out.

Even on a low-end brand such as Collectors Choice.

Where else do you see Larry Walker making a catch like this?

Or Kevin signing autos before a game

Or Nigel just smiling away

Or how Olson had this on the field

Or Phillips getting caught in midair and the ball being shown that way as well

And finally a focused stare by Dante

 

I only selected a few of my favorites. Most of the 600+ cards in this set look like this. 

What are your guys thoughts on this product and which one of the cards above is your favorite shot? If you wanna caption one as well, you are more than welcomed!

BASEically Awesome Part 12:2001 Topps Fusion Baseball

You wanna know what makes these BASEically Awesome.......you combine 5 of my favorite Topps sets and fuse them into one.

You have Finest

Gallery

Stadium Club with some action packed photography

Gold Label with all it's beauty

And Bowman's Best with lots of shinyness

 

What isn't there not to love? I actually still wished some of these designs and products existed today like Gallery.

There are 250 cards in the set and I would bet it is some challenge to put together and possibly one that set collectors who like a challenge may want to try.

So how many of you have tried to set collect this? Have any thoughts on a product like this combining many products? Let me hear them in comments!

Wrappers Of Collecting Past:1991 Fleer Baseball

Don't worry, the bright yellow doesn't shine through the wrapper. You will not need to shield your eyes from this.

I think 1991 Fleer is just one of those early 90's products you loved and hated at the same

 

You sometimes forget how much you actually enjoyed the yellow and then after sorting the cards with sunglasses on you remember that maybe you really don't like it. One thing I think that all collectors can agree on with the product, was the Fleer Pro-visions insert set. Those were pretty stunning for the time and still are today. 

I think another thing we can all agree on just by looking at the pack, is the price. Who doesn't miss those days???!! However, I don't miss the "wax pack" style wrapping.

Before closing, I should also mention that this is a sealed pack I may bust and showcase on here on a rainy day. So keep your eyes peeled for that and let's hope for a Provision!

Thoughts on your memories of 1991 Fleer baseball are welcomed below.

Wrappers Of Collecting Past:2002 Donruss Super Estrellas

Today's Wrapper Of Collecting past is a bit off course. It's a product I haven't opened, the wrapper here still has cards in it and it's one that's a product all in Spanish.

 

 

These cards were distributed primarily to Latin America and those areas in the U.S. with a large Hispanic population So they may not be that easy to find.

 

I found my unopened pack at a local yard sale for about $.25. I think at some point I may bust this and show it off on here as there is a Griffey card I need in the 150 card base set and some among the insert sets. So stay tuned for that.

In comments below, let me know if you have busted any or picked up any singles of any.

REVIEW:2017 Topps Gypsy Queen

The 2017 Topps Gypsy Queen has been highly reviewed by many who have busted it which has led to my curiosity of what the product looked like first hand. Well, I will let you know I tend to agree with the collectors who have busted it already. Pretty solid.

Let's see how the break went shall we?

Each box of 2017 Topps Gypsy Queen baseball comes with 24 packs with 8 cards per pack. You will find one GQ Glassworks box topper and 2 autographs per box on average. Boxes run roughly just under $100.

When you open up the box, the giant topper stares you down. I considered waiting on it as these can contain autographs, but, I couldn't resist...

 

Wow. Not autograph or a parallel,but man, these oversized cards look awesome!!! Great start to the box. Can you imagine these done as base set...maybe Gypsy Queen Chrome. Thoughts Topps??? You heard this suggestion from me first!

 

The box toppers can come autographed or with the following parallels,

• Purple Parallel: sequentially numbered.
• Red Parallel: sequentially numbered to 25.
• Black Parallel: numbered 1/1.

The base set looks awesome. May be one of the best Gypsy Queen base designs yet. Has a throwback feel all around with texture and design.

Even the backs of the cards have that feel as well.

The base set consists of 300 cards of today's stars and rookies. Would be a fun challenging base set to try and put together as one box will not provide it.

And if you want an even bigger challenge, try doing the extra 20 Sp's to the base set as well. These are made up of legends.

Mine came with Phil Rizzuto. These fall roughly one-per-box.

 

 

This years Gypsy Queen said goodbye to mini's and hello to more photo variation and Sp content.

 

As with other Topps releases, the easy thing to define the difference between base and variation is the codes on the back of the card with the final four digits. However, Gypsy Queen offers an extra challenge due to the base sets rough surface as the numbers are hard to see. I have 20/20 vision and struggled at points seeing the numbers and had to go card by card with the gallery over at Cardboard Connection.

I didn't end up with any variations, but you might. Here are the codes so you can define them or if you want to put in more work go to Cardboard Connection card by card to see if you have one.

• Base ends in 1904
• Base SP ends in 1931
• Capless Variation ends in 1937
• Throwback Variation ends in 2100
• Card Back Content Variation ends in 1886 or1986

 I did pull some Sp's however. These nameplates missing parallels fall 1:21 packs.

 

Purple parallels fall 1:13 packs and are numbered to 250.

 

Then there is Missing Backplate parallel. These are just faded looking cards easy to see in packs. They fall 1:9 packs.

 

This is a green back, that are not numbered but fall 1:63 packs, but are limited to just 50 each.

Other parallels include, 

• Black & White Parallel are to 50
• Red Parallel are to 10.
• Black Parallel are 1/1.

These are Portrait Art Reproductions. Pretty snazzy and fits well with this years theme. These fall 1:8 packs.

 

I loved the Fortune Teller mini's.  So technically they didn't get rid of all minis. These fall 1:6 packs and give you a "predictions" of events that could occur in the 2017 season. These have very tough Red and Black parallels as well.

 

And now time for the hits. I can't say they were spectacular, but what I can say is that I really dig the on-card auto design on these.

Up first, Ken Giles.

 

Then Luis Servino that I got out of the first pack. He has a pretty solid sig.

 

These have parallels of  Purple Parallel, Black & White Parallel and Black Parallel which is numbered 1/1. 

 

Autograph Relic Cards, Autograph Autograph Autograph Patch Book Cards, Autograph Garments, Laces Around the League Autograph Relics, Mini Autographs and Portrait Art Patch Originals which are hand-drawn portraits featuring a game-used patch piece and are numbered 1/1. All of the hits have parallels as well.

Overall, my box was a bit of a tough break with price vs what I pulled, but there is a lot of cool stuff in Gypsy Queen waiting to be discovered. So I suggest you should go discover it! or at least build that solid base set.

 

You will see some of these cards in the MLB Pick Em Promo prize box so make sure to take a minute out to thank Topps for providing this box for me to review and to host the nice giveaways with. Follow them on all social media sites and visit their site, HERE, as well.

BASEically Awesome Part 3:1997 Fleer Ultra Baseball

Another edition of BASEically Awesome is here and with the MLB season underway, let's take a look at some baseball.

1997 Fleer Ultra not only had a solid design, but it had some very unique and fun photos to create a base card masterpiece.

We take a look at some swings and after swings here,

Dante is trying to get in the pitchers head while Todd is just chilling out.

Johnny is getting his swings in and Ozzie is making a play

I don't know what it is about this card, but I see this one as the iconic card of '97 Ultra. I just feel like I have seen this one be posted many times in Beckett and online.

And we end this gallery with Jose looking for fun.

With a product with 550+ base cards to collect, it would be a worthy set chase especially with the photography done like this. However, the Ortiz rookie base card need wouldn't be cheap, but would add value to the set.

Thoughts on today's BASEically Awesome round are welcomed in comments. I know there were many fans of this product.