Twenty Five Cent Heaven

I've been in money conservation mode the last couple of weeks. Decided to start saving for a big purchase. But that does not mean I can't raid the .25 cent binder at a cardshow.

I also hit up the 15 for a dollar box too, but I'll post about that later..... probably.... maybe...

But first the quarter cards.

A NRMNT 1972 Topps Jose Pena of the Dodgers. Why did I buy a Dodger? Because he was .25 cents. That's why. Around these parts if you see a 1972 Topps card for .25 cents, you buy it. It doesn't matter if aren't collecting Dodgers or the set.

 A 2009 SPA Kris Medlen rookie... I think I need it. I haven't checked yet and my lists aren't that detailed yet.

 from the same set, a gold parallel of Javy Vazquex numbered to /299

 2010 A&G Mike Dunn rookie. I thought I needed it. I didn't. Whoops. On the plus side, this made me make a wantlist for A&G. From 2006 to 2011. So now I know exactly what I need and what I don't. Well, for Ginter anyways.

 2011 Bowman Randall Delgado Topps 100 insert. I thought I needed it and I did! One for me!

 The final baseball .25 cent treasure was this 2007 Bowman blue parallel /500. Doesn't matter if I had it already... I have a soft spot for Smoltzie.

For all you hockey fans, I'll have some more .25 cent glory up on my other blog later tonight. But even if you're not hockey card fans, it has to do with fights and Enforcers..... and everyone loves hockey fights.

A Cardboard Bowman...

My buddy Marie sent me a nice stack of cards a couple of weeks back. And with Marie, you can always be assured of getting a good helping of Bowman. Which is cool, because I happen to like Bowman. I know a lot of you don't... but when you compare it to Topps, it comes out on top quite easily.

The only gripe I have is I can never figure out what subsets go into what year.... it gets confusing when you have a stack of black border and white bordered Bowman cards from the last 4 years....

But then again, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed either.

So if you will I'll show you a smattering of what Marie sent. And no, it's not all Bowman. Promise.

First up some Bowman Chrome Braves

 these chrome don't curl up like pringles... which is nice.

I always wondered why companies show a guy who always hits 40+ homers fielding on his baseball card... I guess it's like showing Greg maddux batting...

 I may be in love with our pitching staff this year. Just sayin'... Good Luck Cleveland.

 My boy Kimbrel!

 And again! This time in Topps Finest. Except it's not..... finest. I miss Finest from back in the day. Bring back the Electric Boogaloo colour schemes that made your eyes bleed.

 Fabulous Freddie

 Julio... I don't know if that's a schoolyard in the background...

 Our pitching is soooo good. Randall may not make the team.

 the best catcher in the game, BMac!

 and of course, CHIPPAH!!!!

 Yes Craig, you just struck out another one.... BTW, since I do read the backs of my baseball cards, I hope you do, too.... This one told me that Craig set the Braves record for K's per 9 innings with 17.42.
That, my friends, is sexy. Forget about the long ball.

A 2011 shiny Chip, not from Topps Chrome or Bowman Chrome.....  uh, ok.

 My very first liquorfractors!!!!

 There's my boy again! I think I may have to start a pc of Kimbrel. Yeah, I know. That's just what Canuck needs. Another pc.

 The lefty version of Kimbrel. Jonny Venters. I hope the coach takes it a little easier of the bullpen this year.

 A Bowman Platinum Matt Lipka. One of two SS hopefuls in the pipeline. I think the job has been given to Tyler Pastornicky already. Hey. He can't be worse than SeaBass was last year. Good Luck Milwaukee.

 Tier One Chipper. Wow. Glad I didn't break any of this stuff. But it still goes perfectly into the Chipper binders. Yes, I said binders. Plural.

 And this little beauty reminds me of old school Finest. It looks like one of those weekly giveaways from your local cardshop. Your local cardshop, not mine. Mine gives away Tim Thomas.

Thanks for sticking with me to the end... and thanks for the cards Marie!

It's the long weekend!

I know what you're all doing.... you're sitting there wondering what to do this long weekend. Too much snow out there to do yard work, and you've already taken down the xmas lights. No football. Nobody watches basketball anymore. Sure, there's hockey is on tonight, but it's the Bruins, so who cares?

I have just the thing for you...... are you ready?

I just finished putting up my wantlist post for my 1992-2011 Topps Braves team sets.

I know!

And I know you all would just LOVE to help me out.

As thanks, I offer you this Bravos fan, who thanks you too.....

and there'll be another one over on the wantlist page too..... Promise. Either click the link on the right hand side bar.... or click HERE.
We thank you.

Joy of a Completed Page - One Card Challenge Edition

Most of you know, or should know, about Night Owl's One Card Challenge. I've written about it here once before. This is success number two for me. And I've helped three people. A pretty good idea if you ask me.

I had listed this Dale Murphy card and ironically, Owl had it himself. While I'm not collecting the '83 Topps set, I am collecting the '83 Topps Atlanta Braves team set. For which I am now done. I think. I'll explain that at the end.... first the card.

Awesome.

 Now the set.... forgive the cropping. My scanner was in a mood this morning.

 Remember when Joe Torre couldn't manage??? The Dodgers found out first hand. I wonder how he did so well with the Yankees? What's that? A billion dollars over the salary cap every year? Oh. That explains that.

 Four different uniform combinations on one page. Who says the Pirates had all the fun?

 Now here's where it gets hinky.... Dale gets slotted in his page, next to the Super Veteran inserts and above the traded set.

 Now I use Teamsets4u as a checklist. Most of you do. But it does not list those sneaky Super Veteran inserts, nor any other non-base like leader cards. So really, I think I'm done, but I have no idea.


Owl also sent this rookie card from a set I've never heard of. It's not flagship, nor series 2, nor Updates and Highlights...... again, no idea what it's from. I MUST start paying attention to this kind of thing soon.

 We all know Owl's favourite set is Bowman, and he was kind enough to share a card with me. It's green and shiny and xfractory....

 Speaking of green, I also got a mini from the Lineage set. My FIRST MINI from that set!!! And from the mini master too.... Maybe I'll be able to get the other Braves mini's from Lineage soon. If anyone has any....

 and a '75 mini. The original mini. I'm close to my team set on these as well.... although this one is a dupe. But I'll trade him for one I need. Love that warm up jacket under the jersey look.

 I also got this sparkly wonder.

No idea why, except for a nagging feeling that I had requested it or something.... I have to start writing this stuff down...

Thanks Owl!

I'm slowly convincing myself...

I've talked at length about my new 'strategy' towards set building. Well, towards buying cards really. It's summed up as "Wax is for suckers". And it is. We all know it is. But it's hard for someone like me who enjoys busting wax. I know you feel my pain.

Normally a new baseball season means new boxes to bust. We've all bashed Topps to death lately, and deservedly so, so I'll refrain from more of it here.

When I saw the bright shiny purple wrapper of 2012 Topps, I of course had to buy a pack. Just one. Just to see. I plopped down my $2.75 and ripped it open right there on the counter. Ten cards. And the only name I recognized was card #7, Mickey Mantle.

Cue the Price is Right fail music....

But that's okay. After the initial let down, I was over it because I had to buy a pack. I just didn't end up with a good one. But that's life. Right? No biggie. The sun will rise again tomorrow, and eventually that GroundHog will learn how to drive. Just hopefully not angrily.

Fast forward a couple of days, and I hit up the weekend card show. This is the one more in the north end of the city from me. Which also means it has the guy who sells baseball and football cards.

He already had a few cards set aside for me....

Seven insert cards from the new Topps release.

Fabulous Freddie. (no sophmore jinx, no sophmore jinx, no whammy, no whammy....)

 Arodys Vizcaino - nice looking cards I guess. This is about the best use of gold as they could do. It does look like a Bowman insert though, not Topps.

 A couple different Henry's....

 Looks like Hank is squinting trying to see through the impending duststorm.

CHIPPAH!!!! This card is begging for an auto....

 Dan Uggla on the 'talent' side of this dual card.

 Big Mac sharing space with some scrub with weird looking equipment.

All seven of these cards cost me just under what I paid for that hobby pack.

So um..... yeah. I guess no more packs for me of this product.
But that's okay. I got to open one. And one is all I needed.

Seger är min!

It's no secret that I love Sweden. It's a beautiful country...

*ahem*... it's a beautiful COUNTRY.....

 Better. Why all the Swedish content? Why I'm glad you asked. (Quit staring at the blonde)

Reader Magnus from, yes, Sweden, instigated a trade with me. Part of the loot I received was these three beauties.

 STICKERS!!!

 these are the last three stickers I need for the 2009 Topps Total English Premier League sticker set.

I'm grateful for having put this set to bed a day or two before the sticker box I bought for the 2012 set arrives in the mail.
What?? I'm a set builder. Three years is nothing.

Thanks Magnus!

Ok, you can go back to the blonde now....

The best Super Bowl commercial and you may not see it

Some people only watch the Super Bowl for the halftime commercials. These people are what I like to call, nuts in the head. But whatever.
For a lot of Canadians, they do not get tto see the commercials as we are not allowed to watch them due to Canadian content laws. Only those of us with satellite dishes AND high definition receivers can see them, as the standard def channels are 'piggy backed' with Canadian content commercials.
Budweiser has taken pity on us poor Canucks. And since we drink more beer than the Yanks do, why not?
Bud has made a Canadian exclusive Super Bowl commercial that will nto be seen on American tv. It features........ hockey. What else?



This was real. Two teams who had no idea what was going to happen. They played the whole game in front of a packed house of screaming fans with in between period mascot entertainment. Just like at the NHL level.
For a lot of thses guys, it was their first ever taste of playing in front of a crowd since having their parents watch them. To read some of their interviews it was a night they will never forget.
Good job Budweiser.

He does it again....

For some of you who have been reading my ramblings for years.... you may remember this.

LINK

It's 9 year old Oli Wahlstrom of Sweden scoring the goal of the year back in 2009.
Well, he's 11 now, and just busted out this move.




He could play first line on montreal right now....  he's about the right size.