This is What a 1:35,981 Card Looks Like

1988 Topps Traded 44. Ty Griffin

There's a good chance I'll never pull another card with as long as odds as 1:35,981. Those were my chances of getting a buyback from 2001 Topps Traded and Rookies Baseball. Yet, for whatever reason I managed to break the odds. And what did it land me? Ty Griffin biting his lip. And there's also no notation designating it as a buyback or a foil stamp like on the Topps Heritage buybacks. Nothing. Just the regular old card. So I can't even toss it on eBay and make more than a penny on the pretence that it's rare on the basis of a technicality or a serial number.

So while other people brag about their 1:1000 autograph hits, I'm left lamenting over what might have been had my "hit of a lifetime" be in the form of something more than a guy whose professional career didn't even amount to a call to the Bigs. Oddly enough, I'm also reluctant to part ways with my Ty, simply because it's a symbol of what could have been.

2001 marked Topps' 50th anniversary with baseball so the entire year had a historical theme. I had a blast busting packs that year, but one has to acknowledge that buy backs were a silly idea at such astronomical odds. Honestly, I'd have preferred another shot at an Albert Pujols rookie from the regular set. While the Topps Traded line is an important part of the modern collecting legacy, so few cards have made a major impact on the hobby that they need to be seeded at such long odds. 

To see how far they've come, one need not look any further than the Topps Million Card Giveaway. They're everywhere already and we still have 2010 Topps Series Two Baseball and Updates and Highlights yet to come. Getting a Ty Griffin buy back at 1:6 odds is definitely not the kick in the nuts that 1:35,981 is. 

Which big pulls have haunted your collection?

More 2010 Topps Chicago Cubs Abraham Lincoln Variations

When Topps confirmed the Yankees pie-face variations a couple weeks ago, their announcement let word out that there were more variations to be found. They challenged collectors to figure out Abraham Lincoln's favorite team. I figured the answer might have something to do with the Nationals. It turns out Abe likes the Cubbies. JayBee announced earlier in the week that an Abe variant had been uncovered on Milton Bradley's card.

But it didn't end there. Since then, a total of four Cubs Lincoln variations have been uncovered.

2010 Topps Baseball 123. Jeff Samardzija 'Abraham Lincoln variation'

A cartoon Abe jumped out of the Mary Poppins sidewalk and went to watch a baseball game apparently.

2010 Topps Baseball 135. Ryan Dempster "Abraham Lincoln variation'

Abe wanted a better seat. He had some pull with Major League Baseball and landed himself a spot on the field.

2010 Topps Baseball 306. Milton Bradley "Abraham Lincoln variation'

Lincoln stopped the ball with his hat, the crowd went wild and he was plastered onto the field-level fence.

2010 Topps Baseball 326. Tyler Colvin "Abraham Lincoln variation'

Happy with his play, the Cubs took Abe on as a fielding coach. He took the job but insisted he remain true to his character and keep the hat and beard. The Yankees were also interested in Abe's services but when he refused to shave, they passed. Baseball card fans around the world (New York excluded) rejoiced because there's enough variation-love for the Yanks.

Initial prices for the variants are ridiculous but not surprising. The first three sold on eBay have all been in the $150 range. So you might want to scour your sets and extras because most of these variations are are extremely subtle.

Oh, and this is also a variation, but not a 'Lincoln variation' as some are describing on eBay. It's just one of the 20 Legends variants:

2010 Topps 90. Rogers Hornsby variation

I'll keep an eye out for any additional Cubs Abes. I suspect they'll pop up en mass in the next few days as word gets around. Topps will probably provide some confirmation soon as well. Insertion rates are also not known at this time and anyone taking a guess is speculating. Because it has taken a couple of months for these to be uncovered, many will probably go unnoticed for a while yet.

Upper Deck Confirms Retail Exclusive SPs in 2010 Upper Deck Baseball

Today Upper Deck confirmed that they've included a handful of short prints as retail exclusives for 2010 Upper Deck Baseball. Wal-Mart packs have a Sarah Palin and a Pete Rose card while Target packs have a "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and a Yankees tribute highlighting the handful of World Series victories shared by teammates Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte.

Upper Deck's press release didn't offer specific odds, but did promise they were "super-rare." I'll hold back a snide remark but that doesn't mean I'm not thinking something. 

Seriously, though, what's with this obsession with Sarah Palin. At least when Obama shows up on a card, he's President. Palin's on some news station and gets mad at Family Guy. She seems more like a political version of Paris Hilton.

2010 Upper Deck Base Cards Revealed

2010 Upper Deck Baseball has hit eBay. Assuming the base design is the same as the Star Rookies minus the Star Rookies logo, here's what you can expect:

It's like you wouldn't even know they lost their MLB license. From the images posted on eBay, the inserts are pretty solid looking.

One set that's popping up early is the unannounced 'Celebrity Predictors':

Yes, that would be Angelina Jolie as Mother Theresa, Brad Pitt's Fight Club toughness destroyed forever, the Twilight girl getting a card to cash in on Twilight hype and Robert Pattinson's hair threatening to take over the world. Sadly, I have a hunch once the Twilight-ites get wind of the Pattinson/Stewart, you're going to see some crazy prices. Sadly, I also won't be surprised if there's a variant of the card that pairs Stewart and Team Jacob. Sadly, I just made far too many Twilight references for a post about some of the first pictures of a hotly debated set.

Upper Deck Celebrates the Redemption Card

The new ad for 2010 SPx Baseball (as posted on Upper Deck's Facebook page):

I like the concept but, "I will screm when we pull a SPx Rookie Redemption"? Really? Probably not the best choice of words. Or maybe it is. My guess is they're wanting this young lad to scream with joy like this kid:

Redemptions though - they make me want to scream, but in the slightly more angry sense.

Using redemptions as a central piece of a marketing campaign? Really?

2009 Topps Heritage High Number Baseball Variations Confirmed

Today Topps confirmed a total of six variations were included in the recently released 2009 Topps Heritage High Number Baseball. Although insertion rates were not released, the statement did reveal that they were "extremely rare." What the statement did not reveal was that they're also "extremely unnecessary."

But for those completists out there, here be the variants:

15. Dustin Pedroia, Yankees logo

83. Derek Jeter, Red Sox logo

250. Albret Pujols, All-Rookie Design

545. Neftali Feliz, Black and White Image

563. Pedro Martinez, Black and White Head Shot

569. Alex Rios, Black and White Head Shot

Occasionally, I like variants. In some retro sets, one can use the excuse of an homage that winks at an old error or variation. Even the stupid squirrel in 2007 Topps Baseball was kind of funny (at least to the Yankees fans who know of the squirrel). But seriously, who wants a Derek Jeter card with a Red Sox logo? Jeter fans don't like the Red Sox and Red Sox fans see Jeter as a sworn enemy. It's the same idea with Pedroia. The black and white images - whatever. And why do we need a random rookie trophy of a rookie from 2001?

Can Someone Please Explain 2008 Stadium Club Baseball to Me?

All right, so I'm slowly plugging away at my 2008 Stadium Club Baseball set but there seems to be way too many weird things going on. Can someone please correct me if I'm wrong and clarify the base set to me.

Here's what I know:

• Cards divisible by 3 (3, 6, 9, 12, 45, 90, etc.) are #'d/999. Does this hold true for the RC's as well?
• First Day Issue parallels of cards divisible by 3 (3, 6, 9, 12, 45, 90, etc.) are much easier to come by than the rest.
• RCs (#101 - 150) have variations. Are they vertical and horizontal?

Seriously, this is the worst set up of a set I've ever seen. There should be no confusion building a simple base set. And who's stupid idea was it to shrot print every third card? It truly messes up the look when you try to put the cards in a binder.

Dufex Gone Bad - 2005 Donruss Zenith White Hot

About 99 percent of the time I love Dufex. It's got the right mix of warped shininess that screams 21st-century cardboard. Okay, maybe that's stretching it a lot but there's a definite "ooo, shiny" appeal to the technology.

Here's the ugly anomaly in my Dufex fanboy-ism: 2005 Donruss Zenith Red Hot.

 

That would be Ted Williams' image burning in Baseball Card Hell. The issue that I have here is pretty simple: red is bright, black and white photo is not, background is shiny. The result: Dufex purgatory.

Red Hot cards were inserted 1:16 packs with ten cards making up the set. The checklist doesn't really standout when you compare it with other small insert sets: Williams, Vladimir Guerrero, Johan Santana, Todd Helton, Alfonso Soriano, Aubrey Huff...

Aubrey Huff? Sure there's stars, but it's not a who's who, even back in 2005. But then the parallels tell the likely story. Yes, there's parallels to this ugly set. Random bat and jersey swatches were attached and serial numbered to anywhere from 25 to 300 copies.

But when a flame's orange, it can still get hotter. Bring on the 1:65-pack White Hot cards.

 

The background looks more "under the sea" to me than fire but I think it looks a little nicer. Still ugly but not Dufex purgatory bad. You know it's coming - memorabilia parallels. Yup, more bats and more jerseys.

So in case you were wondering, Dufex can be ugly. It can also be made uglier by lame parallels that are really just excuses to slap a jersey or bat slice onto a card.

Lord Stanley is Noble and Shiny

This is a pick-up from a few weeks back that I grabbed while looking for something a little different. I believe I grabbed something I was looking for initially but I'm a sucker for combined shipping deals and often end up grabbing a couple of extras.

The card in question is a 2007-08 In the Game Ultimate Memorabilia 8th Edition base card (I think) of Lord Stanley, aka the guy the Stanley Cup's named after. And while I love the old-time photo mixing with the silver dufex-ish finish, there's a lot to be desired by the overall package:

1. First off, there's no number. What's a base set without a number?
2. Next, why slab a modern base card fresh out of the "pack"?
3. So the slab is serial numbered but not the card itself. Grrrr.

If you're not familiar with In the Game, they're a lot like the Donruss equivilent of hockey. They had a license, lost it went Upper Deck got the exclusive rights yet they've continued to produce cards and survive. Note this card shows how not to get sued: it shows a picture, no logos and a bowtie. No confusion there. In the Game also gets around the rights issue with minor league and international league deals.

The Race for Lame "Baseball" Card of 2009 Has Begun

The following cards are not a joke:

 

  

Okay, I might secretly smirk at the Bigfoot. But what the heck? They're part of the already announced "Historic Firsts" insert set in 2009 Upper Deck Series One. Other "predictions" include the Dow hitting 15,000, an AIDS vaccination, the NL winning the All-Star game and Chicago landing the 2016 Olympics. 

Gimmick Card du Jour: Topps Campaign 2008 Sarah Palin

Topps announced today their latest gimmick card: beauty queen Sarah Palin.

2008 Topps Updates and Highlights will expand on the politically themed Campaign 2008 inserts with two different cards of the Republican vice presidential candidate. The first, more common, card shows Palin as the hockey-loving mom she is today.

The second is filled with all sorts of gimmicky goodness: Palin as an 80s beauty queen. Gimmick lameness aside, politicians shouldn't have ANY attempted sex appeal. It also goes to show how seriously her running is being taken.

Upper Deck Offers a Hair Cut in 2008 SP Legendary Cuts Baseball

Last year Topps made a creepy little card that had George Washington's hair and inserted in Allen & Ginter. Said creepy card generates publicity so now there's a couple more (and a wooly mammoth) in the 2008 edition.

For the past several years, Upper Deck has had a line dedicated to cut signatures aptly named Legendary Cuts. Where am I going with this? To the barbershop, of course.

2008 SP Legendary Cuts Baseball will include not just one or two creepy cards with hair on them, but a whole insert set. But to one-up their New York counterparts, they also include cut signatures. Have a look:


I have to say, that's a pretty generous lock. Wait a minute. What am I saying? I don't want any hair on my baseball cards. In Allen & Ginter it was creepy and it's just as creepy here - even with the historic autograph to go along with it.

I find this card a little ironic. See if you can guess why?

Andrew Jackson has a nice little bird nest on top of his head. But it's a painting. It just seems a little odd (and creepy) that people were saving hair back before we didn't have photographs. The Upper Deck press release tries to explain it:

"What did people collect before baseball cards? Well, some truly passionate collectors would sometimes write to their heroes asking for a lock of hair. After all, what could be more personal than that? Frequently locks of hair were garnered from famous U.S. Presidents, war heroes and other personalities throughout history and passed on through their families."

That's fine if people collected hair back before baseball cards. We also dumped our toilet souvenirs in the streets. If I wanted to collect hair I would. But then again I collect cardboard rectangles sometimes enhanced by ink squiggles on them. Sometimes I hate it when I gain perspective in the flow of writing. Whatever.

If you say know to two things this summer, make them crack and creepy baseball cards with hair.