The Agony of Defeat

It's been about nine months since I've found an addition to my John Jaha collection. Needing only a handful of cards for a complete run, it's not very often that something comes along that I need. About ten days ago one did: a 1998 Circa Thunder Super Rave numbered out of 25. The opening bid was $20, which is about what I'd expect to pay. I had to exchange a couple of emails with the seller to get them to set up to allow Canadian bids but once he did, I put in a bid of a little over $30. And there the card sat for the next six days.

For whatever reason the closing time was 4:00 AM so I was going to wake up either the victor or stung with a last-second bid. I wouldn't be in lamentation mode if I won the card. But while only one other bidder came along, I think I would have lost no matter what. You see, the seller had a few other Super Raves up for auction. Name-wise, Curt Schilling was the biggest. However he must know that there's a couple people out there building sets because I was shocked by some of the closing bids from lowest to highest:

• Jaha $34.56
• Reggie Jefferson $50.18
• Shannon Stewart $82.81
• Curt Schilling $91.38
• Joe Nunally $100.00
• Delino DeShields $229.49

How the heck can a Joe Nunally card reach three figures? Or a DeShields card for almost $230? I honestly don't know which is more shocking - the $17,000 Strasburg or the fact that a Joe Nunally card reached $100.

What these auctions do show is how frowned upon most of the current low-numbered stuff, including 1/1s, are regarded in comparison to some of the tough-to-find late-90s parallels and inserts. I regularly see generic 1/1s from superstars going for a fraction of these prices.

This was only the second or third Jaha Super Rave that I've seen. Hopefully with that low finishing price, I won't have much competition for the next one that comes along in 2014 or so.

The Face of Women's Professional Baseball, Dorothy Kamenshek, Passes Away at 84

There might be no crying in baseball, but I'm still saddened upon hearing about the passing of former Rockford Peach Dottie Kamenshek at the age of 84.

Kamenshek was the inspiration for Genna Davis's character in the iconic 1992 baseball film A League of Their Own. During her career in the All-American Girls Baseball League, Kamenshek was one of the game's dominant players. She was a part of four championship clubs, won two batting titles, seven all-star appearances and struck out just 81 times in almost 3800 career at bats. Sports Illustrated ranked Kamenshek on their list of the top 100 female athletes of the 20th century.

As far as hobby connections go, Kamenshek appeared in the under-appreciated 1993 Ted Williams Company set. She was also honored with her own action figure in Kenner's 1997 Starting Lineup Cooperstown Collection.

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy! Random Pack Break: The Ren and Stimpy Show Triple Shot

The Ren and Stimpy Show is one of the strangest, most bizarre shows I've ever had the pleasure of being addicted to. Somehow Topps' 1993 set based on the cartoon has evaded me. While at the card store a while back I came across a cheap brick of old non-sport packs that I snatched up seeing a few of these on an end.

Blending old-school Topps with new fandangled prism technology (at least for the time), each pack has four cards and one sticker parallel. So it's fancy, but not exactly complicated.

Here's a sampling from a trio of packs.

Pack One:

Sticker

The first card sums these up perfectly. Oh joy!! Shiny, silly and subversive, the artwork captures what Ren and Stimpy was all about. Card backs are classic Topps puzzles! Double bonus. My one beef is that the stickers look pretty much exactly like the cards. The tiny numbering on the backs differentiate cards and stickers.

Pack 2:

Sticker

Two packs, one double. Another thing that I love about the set are the captions. They could easily be used to sum up my feelings on various things. So watch out for random postings.

Pack 3:

Sticker

I'm officially going after this set now so if you have any extra cards kicking around, please let me know. As much as I love stickers, they seem redundant in this set so I'm passing on those if anyone needs the ones I have.

Dang, this set is great.

 

Stumbling Upon Heroes in Unlikely Places - Jim Henson

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Jim Henson. It was a shock to me then and I still find myself at a loss at times even today. I never met the man and rarely saw him speak out of character. But I still regard Jim Henson as one of the most influential people in my life.

To me The Muppet Show wasn't just another TV program. It was what life revolved around. Whenever it was on, I'd slide onto the floor in front of our old 13" TV and sit there glued from beginning to end. My sister was bigger and older than me but she knew not to mess with me and my Muppets.  There was also board games, toys and my first magazine subscription.

Watching the Muppets today, they're still as fantastic as I remember them. The Star Wars episode is a little awkward but the genius is still there. Of course, it wasn't all Henson's doing. He had an immensely talented crew working with him. But without Jim Henson, there were no Muppets. To prove that, one just needs to look at what's happened with the franchise since. Only recently have they started to become relevant again. And with a new movie on the horizon with Hollywood hipsters attached, maybe Kermit and company won't be relegated to semi-dictated DVD viewings at the hands of uber-nostalgic parents (sorry, Ethan and Ella). Rather, folks might just seek out the Muppets because they want to.

The Muppets have been featured in several card sets over the years. None have been fantastic and if a manufacturer were able to get the rights for not only the show but the notable guest stars as well, I believe it could be a very popular card license. Costly, but the autograph possibilities are impressive.

Disclosure time: I bought a set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie cards a short while back. I'd already bought some wacky stuff, so what's a little more. The set was itching to bring back a little nostalgia. There was no other agenda than to flip through some odd cards. Then I stumbled across these:

 That would be the master himself working not long before his untimely death. I don't think of Ninja Turtles when I think of Jim Henson, but I am certainly very excited to see him honored on these cards.

Jim Henson

September 24, 1936 - May 16, 1990

Has Razor Topped the Castro Autograph?

Somewhere out there is a Fidel Castro cut signature card from Topps that was defaced and has gone on to become something of a piece of hobby art. Apparently the guy who got it didn't bleed Commie red and proceeded to doodle all over the card. If Castro's controversial, I wonder what some will think of a dual autograph Razor has coming in their upcoming 2010 Cut Signature Edition.

It's a Gulf War grand-daddy: George Bush (Sr) and Saddam Hussein. This wasn't the only card that stuck out on the sell sheet. I'm immediately drawn to the name of my all-time hero, Jim Henson, whom I was surprised to see as a marquee name. Perhaps Razor owner Brian Gray is a huge Muppets fan like myself.

The sell sheet curiously lists the likes of Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi and Mark Twain in the same breath as Taylor Swift, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt.

Like previous Razor Cut Signature releases and the recent Upper Deck Prominent Cuts, it's a mixed bag with some added intrigue.

Random Pack Breaks: 2010 Topps National Chicle Baseball

When Topps first announced 2010 Topps National Chicle Baseball, the discussion that ensued was intense. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact it was a rare new brand to baseball. Or maybe it was the questionable images that were released without any background info. But whatever the case, controversy followed the set more than Dallas Braden complaining about some sort of phantom baseball code.

A few months have passed, the set's out and all seems pretty quiet. I have to say, I'm still intrigued. I managed to track down a sample pack on my trip to the city on Friday to get a small taste of what the release offers.

102. Adam Wainwright

 This is probably my favorite card from the pack. I like the water tones a lot. It gives the card a distinct feel. Artist: Jeff Zachowski

157. Jimmy Rollins

 Meh. I can't say it's totally memorable. But not horrible either. It appears to be slightly impressionist inspired mixed with realism. Rollins' blank face is somewhat symbolic of my indifference to this card. Artist: Mike Kupka

192. J.D. Drew

 I'm familiar with Chris Henderson's work and like it a lot. In fact, a few years ago I ordered four custom sketch cards from him, which I plan on displaying really soon when I pay tribute to the subjects. Henderson shows he's excellent at getting a stylized realistic look.

15. Brad Hawpe

 Brad Hawpe says, "Brad Hawpe is tired. Brad Hawpe go to bench after this swing and take a nap. Wake Brad Hawpe up when it's time to go in the field." Artist: Ken Branch

306. Chipper Jones

 Honestly, when I first saw this card I was thinking someone busted into my pack and drew the glasses on Chipper like I used to on photos of people I wasn't too fond of in my yearbooks. Nope. It's part of the card. Between Chipper Ruth and this, National Chicle appears to be bullying Mr. Jones.
 Artist: Monty Sheldon

24. Kevin Kouzmanoff

 Not a lot for me to say, other than very nice clean rendition. Artist: Ken Branch

89. Chone Figgins

 Another card from Monty Sheldon, this one is something of a comeback compared to the above Chipper. It's cleanly painted, although the pose is a little bland.

109. Nelson Cruz

In case you've ever wondered what a reverse bobblehead looks like, here you go. Cruz reminds me of the shrunken head guy in Beetlejuice. Artist: Paul Lempa

Overall, I'd say I really like about half of the art shown in this pack. And even the stuff I don't like so much, it still makes for an interesting set. I also like that the artists are given significant prominence in the set with short bios on every card. But that said, I'd probably have preferred simply their name and website URL so I could check them out myself rather than reading the same bio over and over again.

For better or worse, I suspect there won't be the same amount of discussion from any of the reamining baseball sets this year. Topps is playing it pretty safe in 2010. I don't necessarily see that entirely as a negative as they're not rocking the boat with anything drastic other than the whole exclusive license thing.

I like that National Chicle presents something new, even if a good chunk of it isn't the greatest. It's a fresh concept that I think with a few manageable tweaks could really take off. That is if it's popular enough to warrant being given a chance for a follow-up in 2011.

A Tribute to Mom - The Top 5 Cardboard Moms

Mother's Day was two days ago and only now are you catching a post about moms on cardboard. This would be indicative of one or more of the following:

1. Life has taken over everything else.
2. I'm poring my spare time into a brand-spanking new site and need to convert and transfer another 1000-or-so pages of content.
3. I was too busy talking to my mom for the past couple of days.
4. I'm a slacker.
5. I believe that every day should be a day we all think especially highly of our mothers.

You decide. I'm going to countdown five of my favourite moms that I found digging through my collection. I'm probably missing a bunch, but here's a good start to get things rolling.

5. Sarah Connor - The Terminator franchise.
Let's see, she fought off killer robots from the future, got knocked up by her son's closest ally who technically wasn't born when he did the deed to conceive her and she can tote a mean machine gun. Ms. Connor was a little paranoid about the future, but I think she had a pretty good reason for it.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day Filmcardz Rare R5 (Artbox, 2003)

This card comes from Artbox's Terminator 2 Filmcardz series, perhaps my favorite Terminator set produced. The photos are printed sort of like oversized slides, giving them a unique look and feel. This particular card is a "Rare" insert. Linda Hamilton, who played Connor, also signed for the set.

4. Carmela Soprano - The Sopranos
Gold digger? Perhaps. She certainly must have known what she was getting into when she married Tony Soprano. But I'll let you in on a secret - The Sopranos was all about the familial structure of the Sopranos and Carmela was the driving force. The gangster stuff was cool and all, but I really dug the overriding themes of the series.

The Sopranos: Season One Le Belle Donne BD-1 (Inkworks, 2005)

Unfortunately Inkworks' set based on the show;s first season was a monumental flop. It hit shelves with a ton of hobby hype but within a couple of months prices were falling fast. I attribute it to the lack of big-time signers on the autograph checklist, but The Sopranos: Season One is seriously one gorgeous set. This particular card is from the Le Belle Donne insert set, a simple yet elegant take on the ladies of The Sopranos that resided outside of the Bing.

3. Missy - Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

So she's not really Bill's mom, but Missy is "Mom." Awkwardness ensues as Bill's best friend Ted fawns over the hot mama.

Bill and Ted's Most Atypical Movie Cards 27 (ProSet, 1991)

 Bill and Ted is one franchise that could easily be resurrected in the hobby, for at least one set. In 1991 ProSet combined both films into one bland set featuring lazy full-bleed photos and very short text on the back. But it's Missy.

2. Mama Fratelli - The Goonies

Growing up I wasn't sure if Mama Fratelli was played by a woman or someone in drag. I don't mean that disrespectfully. Rather, it was an awesome gimmick. Clearly, the late Anne Ramsey thrived taking on roles that required a tough-as-nails matriarch. Mama Fratelli wanted only the finer things in life for her boys. Presumably a single mom, all she desired was for the family to have what they deserved.

The Goonies 9 (Topps, 1985)

Topps' set based on The Goonies was standard stuff for them during the 80s. Cards and sticker with puzzles on the back. Such memories. The biggest chase element comes with a handful of stickers having variant puzzle backs. 

1. Carol Brady - The Brady Bunch

Is there really any competition? Probably not. Although let's debate for a small second whether or not Carol Brady really was the All-American mom pop culture has made her out to be. Yes, six kids is a handful. But Alice is the one looking after the house most of the time. And raising the kids? She passed the problems off to Mike more often than not. And it was Mike who threw the briefcase in court that made the scammer turn his head, thus getting poor Carol off the hook for a fender bender at the grocery store. Still, it's Carol freaking Brady.

TV's Coolest Classics Dream Girls D4 (Inkworks, 1998)

TV's Coolest Classics Memorable Moments M5 (Inkworks, 1998)

 Mrs. Brady appears in a couple of sets. There's the Topps set with the classic wood borders from back when the show was on the air. But a decade ago Inkworks came along with TV's Coolest Classics and gave the lovely lady who was bringing up three very lovely girls a more modern spin. So what does that mean: holofoil sparkles with the Dream Girls inserts and corny embossing on the TV-inspired design of the Memorable Moments card.

I tried looking for moms in the sports section but they proved elusive to find. Anyone got any leads?

To all those moms out there, it's still Mother's Day around these parts. Thanks for making us who we are. And a special thanks to my mom who passed on my guinea pigs to a more deserving home but didn't take my cards out to the fire pit.

Random Pack Break: 1992 Bowman Baseball Redux

Not long ago I busted a pack of 1992 Bowman Baseball. It should have been two but a slight mix-up from the online dealer I ordered from missed one. No biggie. They sent it along with a small bonus on my next order. So let's see what the pack brings us, shall we:

574 Steve Finley

33 Edgar Martinez - It's rare that the game's all-time great DH is shown holding a glove. I adore the history of the game, but if there's one reason to support the designated hitter, it's Edgar.

1992 Bowman Baseball 33 Edgar Martinez

255 Ramon Martinez - Back in the day, he was one of the most exciting pitchers to watch. Within a couple of years, though, his brother Pedro would steal his thunder.

1992 Bowman Baseball 255 Ramon Martinez

 82 Pedro Martinez - A kid you not, back-to-back brothers. If it weren't for 1991 Upper Deck Final Edition, this card would be a lot more exciting than it is today. Unless you're first name is Mickey, second-year cards don't have the prestige as a rookie. That said, there was a time when this was a $20 card.

1992 Bowman Baseball 82 Pedro Martinez

92 Jerry DiPoto

200 Jeff Bagwell - Another excellent second-year card. So do Pedro and Bags get the Hall call in a few years? Let the debate ensue.

1992 Bowman Baseball 200 Jeff Bagwell

 682 Michael Tucker (Foil)

324 Dave Righetti

532 Manny Ramirez - Anyone heard of this guy, because I just got his rookie card. His glare makes him look a little intimidating though. But, he is standing in front of either a church or some preppy school that was built following a massive brick backlog to look like a church. Prognosis: I think this guy'll do okay.

1992 Bowman Baseball 532 Manny Ramirez

 523 Roberto Munoz

630 Lou Whitake

96 Donovan "Quit Calling Me Super Dave" Osbourne

518 John Doherty

44 Kim Batiste and a pair of brown Franklin batting gloves that didn't stay in fashion very long, even on the one team where it matched the uniforms.

1992 Bowman Baseball 44 Kim Batiste

 704 Checklist

Ah, when the rookie card was simple to understand and make sense of. You either scored like a Manny or you thought what could have been with a decent second-year pull like Bagwell and Pedro. This is what made Bowman relevant in the hobby again. No gimmicks, no short prints, just every rookie they could get. And some retrospectively ugly fashions.

2010 Topps National Chicle Baseball Short Prints

Today Topps made the list of 2010 Topps National Chicle Baseball short prints official. The short prints come from three subsets: Retired Stars Revisited, Vintage Veterans and Rookie Renditions, which should keep the disruption to basic complete sets to a minimum. Short prints fall at a rate of 1:4 packs.

276 Babe Ruth 

277 Rogers Hornsby 
278 Pee Wee Reese 
279 Lou Gehrig 
280 Jimmie Foxx 
281 Honus Wagner 
282 Roy Campanella 
283 Mel Ott 
284 Tris Speaker 
285 Jackie Robinson 
286 George Sisler 
287 Ty Cobb 
288 Thurman Munson 
289 Johnny Mize 
290 Walter Johnson 
291 Cy Young 
292 Christy Mathewson 
293 Mickey Mantle 
294 Stan Musial 
295 Eddie Mathews 
296 Ernie Banks 
297 Ryne Sandberg 
298 Joe Morgan 
299 Reggie Jackson 
300 Ian Desmond
301 Albert Pujols 
302 Ichiro 
303 Alex Rodriguez 
304 Ryan Howard 
305 Lance Berkman  
306 Chipper Jones 
307 Manny Ramirez 
308 Dustin Pedroia 
309 Ryan Zimmerman 
310 Joe Mauer 
311 Buster Posey 
312 Tyler Flowers 
313 Madison Bumgarner 
314 Adam Moore 
315 Henry Rodriguez 
316 Drew Stubbs 
317 Kevin Richardson 
318 Reid Gorecki 
319 Eric Young Jr. 
320 Josh Thole 
321 Neil Walker 
322 Carlos Carrasco 
323 Tobi Stoner 
324 Matt Carson 
325 Tommy Manzella 
326 Michael Dunn 
327 Brent Dlugach 
328 Michael Brantley 
329 Juan Francisco