Sportskings and Ringside Boxing National Plans

Sportskings has announced redemption plans and contests for the upcoming National show in Baltimore August 4 to 8.

A box topper redemption will give collectors an exclusive card made specifically for the show. Below are two examples featuring UFC champion Georges St-Pierre and former home run king Mark McGwire.

National VIPs will also find five cards from an exclusive Sportskings set. But building the set is going to be tricky as there's 25 cards in the set, two of which will be short printed. Here's the checklist:

1 Royce Gracie
2 Duke Snider
3 Misty May-Treanor
4 Kerri Walsh
5 Scotty Nguyen
6 Wilt Chamberlain
7 Renaldo Nehemiah
8 Dennis Rodman
9 Warren Sapp
10 Bret Hart
11 Joe Sakic
12 Muhammad Ali (SP)
13 Althea Gibson
14 Bernie Parent
15 Georges St-Pierre
16 Mark McGwire
17 Eusebio
18 Joe Greene
19 Ronnie Coleman
20 Scott Hamilton
21 Curly Neal
22 Bob Lilly
23 Bruce Lee (SP)
24 Bruno Sammartino
25 Laffit Pincay Jr.

Five cards from the set will be inserted in each VIP gift bag.

Finally, during each day of the show, the Sportkings booth will be doing draws for memorabilia featuring autographed trunks from the likes of Vinny Paz, Ray Mancini, Lennox Lewis, Hurricane Carter and more. Opening a box of Ringside Boxing KO Edition at the booth will provide two entries, while a box of TKO Edition is good for one entry. Entries are good for each day's draws.

For those going to the National, you can find them at booth #2233.

2010 Ringside Boxing Round One Proves to Be a Possible Game Changer

Often collectors are priced out of a product right away, despite the fact they might want to go after a base set or simply sample a few packs or a box. Separate odds for hobby and retail releases combats this somewhat, but these are usually for products that are low- to mid-range to begin with.

The closest thing that I can think of in recent history that aimed for both high-end hit seekers and set collectors was Donruss Americana. Each of the three sets had a hobby version that offered an autograph or memorabilia card in every pack. Base cards and inserts were also done on foil board. The retail release was geared primarily at set builders, offering tougher odds on hits and no foil board. While it was a step in the right direction, the different card stocks proved to be a confusing venture for those looking to the secondary market to pick up singles or finish sets. Many people didn't know about the differences in the hobby and retail releases and therefore didn't advertise them as such. The countless number of parallels, which were also doubled by the different card stocks, certainly didn't help either.

But Creative Cardboard Concepts' resurrection of Ringside Boxing looks to be closing the gap between hit seekers and set builders with two different releases, both of which offer largely the same cards but at drastically different odds. 2010 Ringside Boxing Round One, which is set for a mid-May release, will have both a hit-centric KO version that carries a high price tag, and a TKO version, a release geared more at set builders albeit still offering its fair share of inserts and chase components.

 The KO release aims to curb the ugly site of "collectors" tossing aside their base cards at the card shop in search of autographs and other inserts. Each KO box contains just 18 cards: 12 base cards, three Mecca Turkey Red inserts, two autographs (all are on-card) and either a fight-worn memorabilia card or one-of-one insert.

TKO boxes have a  ore traditional box structure, offering ten packs of four cards. Each TKO box averages either an autograph or memorabilia card, one or two Mecca Turkey Red cards and a one-in-two chance of a limited base card.

The only exclusives are two base set and Mecca Turkey Red parallels that will only be available in KO boxes.

What I really like about this structure is that it appeals to different types of collectors without alienating either. The KO version looks very enticing but could be rather cost-prohibitive for those going after sets. And seeing as how it's been nearly two decades since an all-out boxing release, there should be some pent-up demand for cards. And while it offers longer odds, the TKO version still has its share of chase elements.

Blowout Cards currently has KO boxes, which are limited to 2500 total boxes, on pre-sale for $207.99. TKO boxes are listed at $92.99.

Prominent Cuts is Finally Live, Complete with Patrick Swayze's Dress

Originally planned for a late-2009 release, Upper Deck Prominent Cuts is finally live. It's a catch-all sort of product with the usual Upper Deck sports stars, lots of MMA fighters, politicians, celebrities and multiple Kardashians (note how I refuse to consider them celebrities).

What's caught my attention is the sheer number of costume relics from prominent movie and TV stars. Even though the costume pieces seem to be leftovers from two years worth of A Piece of History Baseball, they're nonetheless impressive. The checklist includes names like Tom Hanks, Ben Stiller, Brad Pitt, Drew Barrymore, Farrah Fawcett, James Dean, Sammy Davis Jr, Mike Myers, Denzel Washington and tons more. And unlike the Donruss Americana sets that Prominent Cuts is somewhat modelled after, these costumes are mostly from actual films that you've probably heard of. A few exceptions exist, but these are mostly the older names. And when you get Sammy Davis Jr's briefcase, the brown leather swatch looks great.

The big drawback with these cards is the fact that there's no images. Without any logos to pretend to hide behind, it makes it tough for these cards to reach their full potential. But the swatch sizes are much bigger than they were with A Piece of History so the lack of imagery isn't quite so bad.

Upper Deck has also made lots of pairings, taking obscure connections and tossing two swatches on a single card. One that I got my attention was the match-up of Patrick Swayze and Harrison Ford under the banner "Action Hero Stars." With classics like Point Break and Road House under his belt, the late Dirty Dancing star fits the bill. Then there's Ford who gets the nod for pulling the trigger on old Greedo. It's a cool enough card numbered out of 99. But there's something that makes me giggle about this card and it's declaration of action heroes.

Upper Deck Prominent Cuts Hollywood History Dual Materials Patrick Swayze/Harrison Ford /99

The Ford swatch comes from the movie Crossing Over. I haven't seen it, but a quick Google search came up with this picture:

We have a match. 

I couldn't find an image to match up the Swayze swatch, but here's a picture of him in a different scene from the film:

It's a dress swatch Swayze wore in the cross-dressing film To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar.

Action hero, indeed.

Topps Offers a Little More Info on 2010 Allen & Ginter Baseball

Today Topps released a little more on 2010 Topps Allen and Ginter Baseball, which I previewed in depth a couple of weeks ago. The main point pulled from their latest release is the inclusion of ten Cabinet Relic cards. These will be massively oversized relic pieces featuring full name plates or front jersey numbers. One also has nothing to do with baseball, but is amazing nonetheless.

2010 Topps Allen and Ginter Baseball Cabinet Relic - Tony Hawk (Skateboard Nameplate)

I'm not a big skateboarding fan, but it's tough not to appreciate this card. It's big, colourful and of an iconic athlete. I also love the scuff marks. 

My only apprehension is box searching. A skateboard piece or massive jersey chunk must have a fair bit of weight, one would think. In turn, that'd make box searching pretty easy. That is if someone gets their hands on the box in the first place. Each of the ten Cabinet Relics are one-of-ones. I checked with Topps and they confirmed that they will be inserted into the boxes, not as redemptions. Advance congrats to the ten lucky ducks who land one of these.

2010 Topps Allen and Ginter Baseball is set for a June release.

In-Depth Preview: 2010 Allen & Ginter Baseball

A couple of days ago Topps released some images for 2010 Allen and Ginter Baseball via their Twitter stream. Now they've released the initial information for the whole shebang. At first glance, the formula hasn't changed much, but this is a set that has always delivered some quirky surprises and I suspect they'll return.

The base set will once again consist of 350 cards: 260 veterans, 30 rookies, 25 historic figures and 35 champions. The checklist didn't indicate the traditional 50 short prints, but I'd be shocked if they weren't there.

Mini parallels return in eight versions. Beside your basic mini, there's:

• Allen and Ginter Back (1:5 packs)
• Black (1:10)
• No Number (limited to 50 copies)
• Bazooka Back (#'d/25)
• Framed Cloth (#'d/10 - hobby exclusive)
• Wood (#'d/1 - hobby exclusive)
• Printing Plates 

Each 24-pack box promises a total of three hits. These include relic cards, autographs, cut autographs, Rip cards and printing plates.

In the relics department, the addition to the formula are Book Cards. These are those hard-to-display hinged cards. Each card, numbered out of 10, will include two autographs and two jersey swatches. The basic Framed Relics game-used checklist contains 66 cards.

The freaky hair cards return once again with DNA Relics. The checklist is certainly an intriguing one:

• Lugwig Von Beethoven
• Andrew Jackson
• John F. Kennedy
• John Adams
• Alexander Hamilton
• Jacqueline Kennedy
• Charles Dickens
• King Edward VII
• Ronald Reagan
• Abraham Lincoln

How one goes about certifying the hair of Charles Dickens, I don't know.

Coming off the success of the Woolly Mammoth hair card and the various nature cards from Upper Deck's Champs and Goodwin Champions comes Monsters of the Mesozoic relic cards. Dinosaur fossils! These relics will be limited to ten copies each. Topps will also be continuing the Logo Man manufactured patch cards.

The Framed Autograph checklist is big, running 85 cards. Sure there's regulars like Ryan Howard and David Wright, but color me most intrigued about the autograph of "The World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things" (that's how the card is listed on the checklist). I'm guessing it has something to do with this. Other non-Major League Baseball folks on the autograph checklist include:

• Alan Francis (Horseshoes)
• Anthony Gatto (juggling)
• Avery Jenkins (Frisbee Golf)
• David Blaine (publicity hound/illusionist who stuffs himself in boxes)
• Hans Florine (Climber)
• Hank Presswood (Negro Leagues player)
• Hubertus Wawra (Fire Eater)
• Judson Laipply (some YouTube guy whose video "The Evolution of Dance" has been watched nearly 150,000,000 times)
• Jordin Sparks ("American Idol" champion)
• Jim Zapp (Negro Leagues player)
• Ken Blackburn (paper airplanes)
• Kelly Kulick (bowling)
• Maholn Duckett (Negro Leagues player)
• Mike Parsons (surfing)
• Preston Pittman (Game Calling)
• Ryan Kennelly (Power Lifter)
• Randy Oitker (Archery)
• Ron Teasley (Negro Leagues player)
• Sig Hansen (fisherman, "Deadliest Catch")
• Shawn Johnson (Gymnast, "Dancing With the Stars")
• Summer Sanders (Swimming)
• Tyler Bradt (Kayaker)
• Tiago  Della Vega (World Record for fastest guitarist)
• Tony Hawk (Skateboarding)
• Tom Knapp (Shooting) 

I couldn't find definitive info on Dale Davis, Gary Stewart, Max Poser and Robert Scott. So if anyone wants to enlighten us, please do. Many of the autograph signers also have relic cards as well.

Rip Cards return offering the prospect of some nice goodies should the owner dare to tear. Oops, that was the tagline for Pinnacle Zenith more than a decade ago. Rip Cards will fall one per case and individual outer cards will be numbered to no more than 99 copies. Inside there's the possibility of the following:

• Red Autographs (85 cards, #'d/10)
• Mini Exclusives (50 cards)
• Mini Wood Exclusives (50 cards, #'d/1)
• Allen and Ginter Originals (30 cards)

Each box of Allen and Ginter will also have one box topper from the following:

• N43 (15 cards)
• N43 Relics (10 cards, #'d/25)
• N43 Autographs (10 cards, #'d/15)
• N43 Autograph Relics (5 cards, #'d/5)
• Cabinet (10 cards)
• Cabinet Relic Card (10 cards, #'d/1)

My personal favourite part of Allen and Ginter is the wacky inserts. I just recently finished my 2008 World Leaders set and am now looking at moving onto the National Heroes from last year's set. These inserts have always intrigued me as they're not terribly tough to find, can be found at a decent price and there's often nothing quite like them. Basic inserts fall one per pack.

This Day in History is a 75-card set that pairs a baseball player with a significant event that happened on their birthday. The 15 Baseball Highlight Sketch cards will probably look nice but are something of a yawn compared to the remainder of the inserts. Unless, of course, they're actually original sketches this year and not something copied with a 1/1 label like they were a few years ago. Other sets include Lords of Olympus (25 cards, 1:12), Monsters of the Mesozoic (25 cards, 1:12), World's Greatest Wordsmiths (15 cards, 1:24), National Animals (50 cards, 1:8), Sailors of the Seven Seas (10 cards, 1:24).

Finally, there's 10 Cut Signature cards and the return of the Allen & Ginter Code. It'll be curious to see if it takes more than a day or two to crack it this year.

2010 Allen and Ginter Baseball is schedule for a June 21 release.

In the Game Offers Interactive Upgrades for Draft Hopefuls

I see one of the trends we're going to see more of in the next year or two is more interactive products. I believe much of this is going to center around online initiatives like Topps Town and Upper Deck U, but there's bound to be other programs as well.

A couple days back In the Game unveiled some interactive plans for their upcoming 2009-10 In the Game Heroes and Prospects set. Each card in their Class of 2010 insert set will come with a serial number on the back ranging from 1 through 30. If the player depicted on the card is drafted at that position in the June draft, collectors will be able to send in and upgrade their card to a memorabilia version. Upgraded versions will be limited to 10 copies.

So if the serial number on the back of your Taylor Hall says 1 and he's drafted first overall, you qualify for the memorabilia version. From a dealer's standpoint, I think this is a great idea as now there's going to be people chasing down multiple copies of the same card as they try to predict the spot in which they're picked.

This program reminds me a lot of Upper Deck's old Predictor and Crash the Game inserts where if the player won an award or hit a homerun on a certain date, then you'd get an upgraded version of the card or even a small set.

The preliminary checklist for the Class of 2010 cards is:
C-01    Taylor Hall
C-02    Kirill Kabanov
C-03    John McFarland
C-04    Cam Fowler
C-05    Tyler Seguin
C-06    Joey Hishon
C-07    Erik Gudbranson
C-08    Brett Connolly
C-09    Brandon Gormley
C-10    Stanislav Galiev
C-11    Quinton Howden
C-12    Jeffery Skinner
C-13    Mark Pysyk
C-14    Alexander Burmistrov
C-15    Vladimir Tarasenko

2009-10 In the Game Heroes and Prospects is scheduled for release on January 27.

Pete Rose Signs With Upper Deck

In another sign that Upper Deck has more flexibility with their MLB-free baseball products, the company has announced they've signed Pete Rose to a deal that will see autographs and memorabilia cards in their products.

The all-time hit king has been in other unlicensed sets in recent years with Donruss and Sports Kings. And even though Rose is one of the most common autographs in the memorabilia world, his ban from baseball has led to very few trading cards. Even with the Upper Deck deal, there still aren't any that are fully licensed to include MLB logos and such.

Rose joins controversial players Shoeless Joe Jackson and Jose Canseco who have signed with the company in recent months. Rose's Upper Deck memorabilia debut will be in 2010 Upper Deck Goudey.

But there still aren't any images. It's also somewhat ironic that Upper Deck is making this announcement on the same day as the Hall of Fame announcement. Coincidence? I doubt it.

Charlie Chaplin: Chasing a Tramp

When I think about the current movies and shows that make me laugh the most, it's often either heartwarming gross-out fare like The Hangover and Old School or things anchored in reality and nostalgia such Ferris Bueller's Day Off and TV's Freaks and Geeks. While they offer a good chuckle and some reminiscing for the good ole' days when life seemed to be a little simpler and more confusing, it's not very often that today's comedy offers us a lot of commentary on the world around us. Reflection, but not trying to look further. For example, I can relate to aspects of The Hangover, like seeing bits and pieces of friends and aquaintances in many of the characters. And while there`s some exploration of the dynamics of relationships - yes, even in all the genital jokes and Mike Tyson solos - it didn`t exactly make me think any deeper about my own relationships afterward. But comedy wasn`t always like this.

You may have heard of a guy named Charlie Chaplin. There was a time when he ruled the film world. He wasn`t just an icon like Brad Pitt or George Clooney, but rather he was also the artist behind the camera. Chaplin brought together comedy and commentary so well that he was forced into exile outside of the United States for being a potential Red threat.

Chaplin`s movies today can be enjoyed on several levels. If you just want to kick back and laugh at the slapstick humor, you can. But there`s also a lot of depth to what`s going on. Chaplin wasn`t just an entertainer but a thinker as well. And by using film as his canvas, he was able to reach millions with his messages in a funny and entertaining way.

Despite his lasting appeal, Chaplin has remained somewhat elusive in the hobby. There were several cigarette cards and similar items produced during his reign as king of the entertainment world, including a spot in the 1926 W512 set that mixed stars with athletes including Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb. The cards were produced in strips, although many were cut.


Here are a few other Chaplin cards from the 1920s:

In this era of cut signatures and entire sets dedicated to pop culture, Chaplin has largely escaped the spotlight. He has two cut signature cards. The first was in 2004 Topps Tribute HOF where he appeared in the Signature Cuts Personalities insert set. Chaplin also had an autograph inserted into 2009 Donruss Americana. Both were limited to one copy.

More affordable is this card:

It`s also from 2009 Donruss Americana. It`s from the Movie Posters insert set, which includes classic artwork on the front. Here`s a shot of the back:

Yup, that`d be a piece of his clothing. Although not from a movie costume, it`s still cool to have a piece of a genuine legend. At 500 copies, it`s not too terribly tough to come by, nor is it overly expensive. I picked up this one, in which it would have been the hit of a $35 pack, for less than half that. Chaplin has two other memorabilia cards in the same set, one of which is a dual card featuring a piece of Claudette Colbert`s clothing.

2009 Topps Triple Threads Baseball is the Latest Set to Have Kennedy Content

Topps announced this morning that a triple relic card featuring Kennedy brother John, Robert and Ted has been added to 2009 Topps Triple Threads Baseball.

Entitled "Camelot," the card is limited to five copies. It features a piece of a sweater worn by JFK and pieces of the Capital Building floor in the other two slots.

It seems that Topps is riding the Kennedy wave since the passing of Ted. Although there have been numerous JFK and Robert Kennedy cards released in the past couple of years, between this and Ted Kennedy's eTopps card from last week, it looks like the trend is on the rise.

Would You Let Your Daughter Go Out In This?

As nearly perfect as much of The Sopranos is itself (Yes, I like "the ending". A lot.), another thing I'm thankful for is the fact that it brought TV shows on DVD to the masses. I don't know if it was the first show put out in the format but it, along with Band of Brothers, seem to have kicked things into high gear. Without it I would have never caught on to Rescue Me starring Dennis Leary.

I only got into the show less than a year ago. I had a lot of catchup to do as it's now on Season Five. So I started renting the first couple of seasons and got a deal on a couple more. Brilliant stuff.

There's not a whole lot of cards connected to the show. Leary has an autograph in the old Donruss Fans of the Game stuff, but it's out of my price range. But in the new Donruss Americana set there was this:

That'd be Diane Farr. She was only on the show for a couple of seasons playing the only female firefighter in the testosterone-fuelled New York firehouse in which the show is set.

The card itself is all right. Donruss went overboard with the foil. It worked with the old design to a better extent because most of the photos had backgrounds. The new design has the subject placed in a silver background. The stickers - well, I tolerate them. I'm not a big fan but when you're chasing B-list celebrity autograph cards there's not many options.

When I picked up the card, the waredrobe swatch was a bonus. I like costume cards but the Americana sets are pretty much all things from the actor's closet that I have absolutely no connection to. Let's do a little zoom in on the material:

The picture doesn't get the point across very well so I'll try to describe it. The white that you see is the backside of the card. That would mean that the clothing part is tiny little strings that if put together to make an outfit would look something like, well, close your eyes and imagine because I'm doing my best to keep the blog clean.

I get the point of having a nice, sexy outfit, but when it'd leave nothing to the imagination, what's the point? Of course, it could be a part of a dress/shirt/skirt that has more to it but that's part of the problem with these generic Americana material swatches - there's no point of reference so it's all up to the imagination.

Upper Deck Involved in Another Lawsuit

Here's the article (from DailyRecord.com).

So Upper Deck's being sued for $40,000 by a golf memorabilia dealer. The plaintiff, Robert Zafian, is cheesed that he sent some Masters pin cup flags to the company and, as according to the suit, Upper Deck said they were "probably lost."

The $40,000 was determined based on what Zafian figues he could have sold the autographed flags minus his fees to Upper Deck for the signing.

Upper Deck has already reversed their charges for the signing and said they'd pay an additional $200 per flag in damages. But the price guide (gasp!) says unsigned Masters flags are worth $5000.

No word yet on if Paypal has been appointed judge in the case.

2009 Topps Allen and Ginter Shortprints, Unannounced Inserts and Black Light Autographs

Topps has announced the list of shortprints and all sorts of other goodies for 2009 Topps Allen and Ginter Baseball:

Short Printed Base Cards
Cards 301-350 in the base set are short printed at 1:2 packs.

Short Printed Autographs & Print Runs (all of the autograph subjects in the product including the ones below have signed 10 cards in red ink accept for Michael Phelps and the Invisible Man)
AGA-MC Miguel Cabrera 49
AGA-DW David Wright 49
AGA-JW Jayson Werth 49
AGA-JR Jose Reyes 49
AGA-JC Joba Chamberlain 49
AGA-DO David Ortiz 49
AGA-MH Matt Holliday 49
AGA-RH Ryan Howard 49
AGA-LM LaShawn Merritt 239
AGA-AT Anna Tunnicliffe 239
AGA-MZ Mariel Zagunis 239
AGA-WE Walton Glenn Eller 239
AGA-KA Kristin Armstrong 239
AGA-SB Stephanie Brown Trafton 239
AGA-DOW Dominique Wilkins 239
AGA-FE Frank Evans 239
AGA-AP Art Pennington 239
AGA-RM Red Moore 239
AGA-HS Herb Simpson 239
AGA-CP Clyde Parris 239
AGA-WW Willie Williams 239
AGA-MN Millito Navarro 239
AGA-BM Billy The Marlin 239
AGA-HT Hannah Teter 239
AGA-SD Shani Davis 239
AGA-CO Cat Osterman 239
AGA-RMA Robbie Maddison 239
AGA-BC Bob Crowley 239
AGA-RF Richard Fosbury 239
AGA-SW Steve Wiebe 239
AGA-WS Will Simpson/Archie Bunker 239
AGA-MM Mike Metzger 239
AGA-BBE Bryan Berg 239
AGA-IK Iris Kyle 239
AGA-BCA Brian Cappelletto 239
AGA-LO Loren Opstedahl 239
AGA-LC Lynne Cox 239
AGA-BY Brock Yates 239
AGA-JH John Higby 239
AGA-BK Burke Kenny 239
AGA-KM Kolan McConiughey 239
AGA-YM Yuto Miyazawa 239

Michael Phelps Autographs
Phelps has 8 different versions #’d to 8 and there is a gold 1 of 1 for each of the versions representing his 8 gold medals at the last Olympics.

Short Printed Inserts (Unannounced)

Inventions of the Future
FI1 AeroMobile
FI2 Clock Defier
FI3 Protecto-Bubble
FI4 Here-to-There-o-matic
FI5 Mental Movies

Extinct Animals
EA1 Velociraptor
EA2 Dodo
EA3 Xerces Blue
EA4 Labrador Duck
EA5 Eastern Elk

Creature Relics (#’d to 10)
Bigfoot
The Loch Ness Monster
Unicorn
The Invisible Man
Yeti

Creatures Autographs
The Invisible Man (only a black light will reveal the Invisible Man’s signature). These are limited to 10 copies.

Short Printed Relics & Print Runs
AGR-AR Alex Rios 90
AGR-DM Daisuke Matsuzaka 110
AGR-NS Nick Swisher 164
AGR-AP2 Albert Pujols 190
AGR-MR2 Manny Ramirez 190
AGR-AS Alfonso Soriano 191
AGR-RC Robinson Cano 195
AGR-HR Hanley Ramirez 199
AGR-EC Eric Chavez 210
AGR-MM Mickey Mantle 250
AGR-BTM Billy The Marlin 250
AGR-LM LaShawn Merritt 250
AGR-AT Anna Tunnicliffe 250
AGR-MZ Mariel Zagunis 250
AGR-WE Walton Glenn Eller 250
AGR-KA Kristin Armstrong 250
AGR-SB Stephanie Brown Trafton 250
AGR-DOW Dominique Wilkins 250
AGR-HT Hannah Teter 250
AGR-SD Shani Davis 250
AGR-CO Cat Osterman 250
AGR-RMA Robbie Maddison 250
AGR-BC Bob Crowley 250
AGR-RF Richard Fosbury 250
AGR-SW Steve Wiebe 250
AGR-WS Will Simpson/Archie Bunker 250
AGR-MME Mike Metzger 250
AGR-BBE Bryan Berg 250
AGR-IK Iris Kyle 250
AGR-BCA Brian Cappelletto 250
AGR-LO Loren Opstedahl 250
AGR-LC Lynne Cox 250
AGR-BY Brock Yates 250
AGR-JHI John Higby 250
AGR-BK Burke Kenny 250
AGR-KM Kolan McConiughey 250
AGR-MP Michael Phelps 250
AGR-AP3 Albert Pujols 255

I have to say, the Creature relics are strange but in a good way. I'd love to get me a unicorn horn or some of Bigfoot's fur. The Invisible Man autograph is genius. I scanned eBay but couldn't find one though. The Bigfoot relic has sold for over $200, which puts it waaaay out of my range for something that's "cute". Maybe someone needs to make a full-blown set of these. It's not like there's any shortage of bigfoot fur.

Exclusive Peek at KISS 360 Quad Autograph from Press Pass

KISS 360, Press Pass' second set based on the legendary band, is set for release next month. This will mark the first time autographed KISS cards will be inserted in packs. The recently released KISS IKONS had redemptions for autographed photos, but no cards.

Here's a peek at the instant-classic quad cut signature card that will be limited to five copies. It includes autographs from Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss (please note that while I've seen one side of this card posted online, I think this is the first time both sides have been shown). There will also be single cut signatures.:

The 90-card base set will include several subsets with such intriguing names as The Demon Speak, Unmasked, Behind Starry Eyes, Welcome to the Show and Road Stories (presumably the PG version).

Inserts include several more levels of hits including Rock Star Relics featuring authentic memorabilia cards with items from Gene Simmons (autographed leather pants), Paul Stanley (autographed vests and a jumpsuit), and Eric Carr (autographed drumheads). There will also be a dual memorabilia card with Simmons and Stanley.

 

Additional inserts include Transformations, a six-card lenticular set that I'm really looking forward too and Snapshots, plastic cards with classic photos. KISS 360 will also have several exclusive parallel cards such as Blood-Spitting and $ in hobby packs, Dr. Love at Wal-Mart and Kissed from Target.

 

 

Heavenly Metal

Last week I received a package from Mario at Wax Heaven that had some good ole' wrasslin cards and this thing of beauty:

 

Bon Jovi in trading card form. It comes from Impel's 1991 Mega Metal set, which after doing a little research has a Skid Row hologram. There's boxes on eBay for under $20 so I think I may have to dip in and get my 80s hair metal nostalgia going one of these days.

The big finds of the box were a trio of hits from TriStar's recent TNA: Cross the Line set.

 

 

The dual event-used card and the Dutt autograph are both numbered /50. I haven't seen a lot of TNA wrestling yet but I do know that all three of these guys featured do have some good moves. Whether or not they become stars on a bigger stage remains to be seen.

Here's some more TNA:

 

We've got old man Foley who just won TNA's big belt last weekend over Sting (no, this isn't 1997). Then we have a funky art card of an all-time favorite of mine, Christian who recently returned to his WWE roots and even more recently (yesterday) won the ECW Championship.

Oh, yeah, there was also this:

 

That, my friends, is Don West captured in a rare moment where he was at a loss for words.

Mario didn't neglect the wrestling big leagues either. He also sent me some WWE cards I hadn't seen in person yet: a handful of Topps' UK-exclusive Slam Attacks. They're a CCG that are meant to be played with. Topps recently brought the line over to North America with a baseball set that I haven't seen or played. Here's a sample:

You can never go wrong with Jimmy Snuka and the Ken Kennedy is a foil - not sure if it's a parallel or just something fancy. These have a nice clean look to them.

Thanks a bunch, Mario!