Allen and Ginter- So much for the same old thing

One of my favorite summer releases from Topps is Allen and Ginter. Mainly for the great brush-filled paintings of my fave players, big hits, and many inserts and minis.

One of the things I don't like is that Allen and Ginter has no originality when it comes to design. Case in point-

2006- Player portrait. No background. Allen and Ginter logo
2007- Player portrait. No background. Allen and Ginter 2007 logo
2008- Player portrait. No background. Allen and Ginter 2008 logo.
2009- Player portrait. Colored background. Allen and ginter 2009 logo.
2010- Player portrait. Colored background. Boxed Allen and Ginter 2010 logo.

As you can see, it's pretty much the same thing every year. And A&G is one of the only sets that can pull that off. Let me give you a few examples of sets that have been popular with collectors without changing their design much yearly.

• UD Masterpieces. Probably the most notable of the bunch. Masterpieces lasted two great years, and the design was practically the same.
• Bowman. Yes, even Bowman is a victim of this. For the past few years, there hasn't been much change with the base set. Also not changing- collectors interested. I haven't bought the product since 2007.
• SP Authentic. Most people don't attribute this set to the rule. SP Authentic really is the same concept every year. It's a offwhite/gray background, team colors, a few wavy lines, or circles and shapes. Still, it's the same thing, but that doesn't mean it sucks.
• UD Ovation. You know, it was all right at first, but then collectors began to tire the 3D circles on the cards, and things.
• Upper Deck X, and SPX for that matter. Basically, every year it's pretty much a teched up iffy little crapfest that never works. UDX more than SPX...could you find any differences between 2008 and last year's sets?
• Topps 206- well DUH!

Allen and Ginter is popular among collectors not because of the design. That's why Topps keeps it going-- it's one of their better throwback sets.

Now when the hell's it gonna hit the street?

The ToppsTown Experiment

Everyone has one.

A guilty pleasure, an item that many people are tempted to love, even though they're not supposed to. One of my guilty pleasures is David Bowie music. But then again, this isn't a David Bowie blog.

Another one of my guilty pleasures is ToppsTown. Two months ago I signed up for ToppsTown, just to redeem codes and see what the fuss was about. I inadvertedly entered a community of kids and teenagers whose sole purpose was to waste time on the internet.

Wait a minute, I thought, I waste time on the internet! I'll fit right in with these guys!

Fitting in wasn't what kept me there. Shrouded behind the redeeming codes part was a whole 330 card set. Redeem cards, build the set. The set was infuriating to build, because the one card you needed to trade for involved giving up a few Legends cards you already had. Granted, I WANTED 12 Derek Jeters, but I only had 2 of them. So I could only give up 1 Jeter in a trade, but they probably wanted more than a Jeter. They wanted a Ty Cobb, or a Cy Young...and just for a Joba Chamberlian, or Luis Castillo!

Man, people were even giving up Jeter, A-rod and a couple of legends...and asking for low profile amatuers like Martin Prado and Ian Stewart. There were stupid people in the ToppsTown community, but, come on, they were teens!

Nevertheless, one month ago I asked for a simple trade: What I need for doubles of what you need. And it worked . Last month I finished my ToppsTown set.

But it wasn't over. I still had all those Series 2 codes coming my way, so I just redeemed them just for the hell of it. And I got the same cards I HAD GIVEN UP THOSE DOUBLES FOR!

It was a troubling experiment, but long story short all 330 virtual cards that probably don't mean anything in the blogger world are mine. And even though I will never own them, it still felt pretty good to finish the set, finally getting the Luis Castillo and AJ Burnett that I needed.

So that was one guilty pleasure that paid off for me.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-chaaanges...

10-pack Series 2 Rip!

I finally got some Series 2 from my hometown Target, so here we go

Guaranteed Patch- Carlton Fisk from 72 AS Game.

Pack 1-
456- Clayton Richard
536- Matt Palmer
601- Blake DeWitt
642- Paders
George Sisler Vintage Legends
Andre Ethier 2020
Billy Butler TT
346- Taylor Teagarden

Pack 2-
352- Cameron Maybin
442- Giants Kid
566- Maicer Itzuris
Code card- here's who I get-
1976 Doug Rau. Okay
Peak Performance BJ Upton
Ian Kinsler TT
Pirates

I'm running out of time, so I'll just do the highlights

494- Andrew Miller
589- Edinson Voloquez
2009 Rick Procello Yo Mamma
Mauer/Bench Lienage
A-Rod TT
Clete Thomas Gold
1995 Babe B-Day Yo Mamma Original Back
Ty Cobb Turkey Red
McCovey Vintage Legends 53
Cole Hamels WS
CAL 93
Monte Irvin Peak
Clay Kershaw 2020
Eddie Matthews Turkey
64 Eddie Matthews Yo Mamma
Felix Peak
Foxx/Feilder Lienage
McCutchen 2020

There, I'm done. Good packs!

Straight from Philly! 2010 Topps Series 2!

The game went really nice. Howard hit 2 homers, Utley hit one. The crowd gave Thome an ovation for his 3 years with the team. A beautiful play at the plate occured in the home team's favor. But who cares about that? I've got cards! Two rack packs of series 2 coming at you...

Pack 1-
359- Aramis Ramirez
425- Dontrelle Willis
574- Brewers
371- Nick Hundley
392- Carlos Monasterios
637- Ruth and Gehrig
502- Jhoulys Chacin
646- Trevor Crowe
598- Alberto Callaspo
478- Conor Jackson. Now on the A's
Vintage Legends- Putting Johnny Bench in 1957. I love this. It's like the opposite of Heritage
David Wright Futuristic 2020 card. I like this one too.
Justin Verlander Topps Town
529- Carlos Lee
614- Kelly Johnson
660- Brandon McCarthy, the last card in the set (Not counting Nolan Ryan Jr.)
585- Dioner Navarro
631- Mike Rzepczynski
519- Alexi Castilla
370- CANOOOOOOOOO!
438- Jason Bartlett
584-Matt CAPPS
461- Tyson Ross
379- Phil Hughes
559- Hey, it's Nick Markakis
Yo Mamma Card of Tom Seaver in 1977
Berra/Posada Lineage
Jiminez Peak Performance
Johan Santana Topps Town
HOLY CRAP A GAME USED! It's of Alfonso Soriano! Nice!
HOLY CRAP ANOTHER GAME USED! SERIOUSLY! I'M NOT MAKING THIS UP! IT'S CHRIS COGHLAN!
The rest of the pack is crap

Pack 2-
515- Mariners
650- BOOOO, it's Pedroia! At least it isn't Yoooooouk
657- Chris Young
561- Ryan Zimmerman
430- Kaz Matsui
504- Jeff Mathis
648- Brian Fuentes
534- Hideki Okajima
543- Checklist
486- RAAAAUUUUUUUUULLLL!
480- BOOOOOOOOOO!
Code Card!!! Let's see who I get!
2005 Aubrey Huff of the Rays. Not that bad. At least it's a recognizable player.
Berkman ToppsTown
595- Mike Lowell
413- JJ Hardy
523- Phil Coke
450- Omir Santos
386- Dan Haren
608- Pirates
571- Brando Lyon
514-Rafael Soriano
479- Chris Carpenter
345- Chris Volstad
636- Checklist
467- Fausto
350- Checklist
604- Braves
Yaz 65 Yo Mamma
ChristyMat WSH
Justin Upton Peak Performance
Denard Span Turkey Red
440- Willie Harris
525- David Huff
610- Alex Gordon
532- Hunter Pence
592- Brian Roberts

Not bad at all. Two Non-Yankee game useds. Does anyone want them. If not, I'll keep them both.

That'll break the inconsistency

Just wanted to let you all know, I'll be at the Phillies Game tonight. They'll be playing the Twins.

I haven't been to Citizen's Bank park since 2007, back before the Championship.

The full report will be after the game (Or tomorrow morning if I'm REALLY tired)

(Looks like that Mauer card I made told the future)

The Tournament of Bad Autos- Elite Eight!

And then there were two...

These two autographs were voted by you, my readers, as the worst out of all of the Jeter region. And now, they will face off for a spot in Drew's Final Four. Who will win? Who will lose? Who will regret signing up for a 3+ month blog project (Not me!)

Will you cast your vote for Jason Jennings?

Or Bobby Bonilla

It's in your hands, blogosphere! Go to the sidebar and VOTE!

The Long Delayed Return of Custom Cards

I think I finally got the old look right...I brightened the photo a little bit, and it looks a little older.
Also, Joe really deserved a custom after all this time.

I am back in the Custom Game, finally, and I'll be cranking out some more, soon.

Why I love/hate Stephen Strasburg

Here's why I love him:

I sat down last night on MLBnet, to see what the hype was about. I got the young fireballer fanning 13 of the Pirates, and doing it with a blazing 98-mph fastball.

Wow, I said to myself. I really like this guy. And you know who pitched against him in his first game...

A former Yankee. Jeff Karstens. doo-doo-doo-doo....

Now here's where I begin to despise Mr. Nolan Ryan Jr. This morning, while checking the blogs, I happen upon two blogs (They know who they are) who show what I had been fearing.

That Transmogrifier Starsburg that was auctioned off last night? It's now Card #661. And you can only get it online.

GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!

I mean, why on Earth would Topps just randomly put out another gimmick? It's just...uh...words cannot describe the anger I am feeling right now. Couldn't we just wait for Card #UH1 in Updates (Or Series III). I mean...it just doesn't make sense at all.

I still want it, though.

Last Tastes- Series 1 and National Chuckle

Since Series 2 and Allen and Ginter are coming soon, I thought it would be nice to get some packs of products that need a final sendoff. Actually, I couldn't find any series 2, so I just got some Chicle and Series 1, cause I like those.

Chicle 1-
61- Gordon Beckham
21- JA Happ
186- Alfonso Soriano
80- Jermaine Dye
39- Michael Young Player Back
259- Henry Rodriguez

Pack 2-
126- Melky Cabrera
46- OH SH*())**&(*T IT'S YOOOOOOOOUK!
11-CC Sabathia!
201- AND AJ BURNETT...IN THE SAME PACK!
115- BERK!
79- Russell Branyan

Pack 3-
196- Will Venable
166- Duke Snider
185- Travis Snyder
94- Nyjer Morgan Player Back
313- Madison Bumgarner...1961 Gaylord Perry Ripoff...PLAYER BACK!
246- Tom Seaver

And since you all have seen the base cards, here's what I didn't have from the Series 1

HISTORY- Baseball Invented
218- Fernando Martinez
212- Jair Jurrjens
Not 1 bust 2 code cards- My Results:
1. 1968 Ken Suarez Rookie
2. 1976 Fred Scherman. Nothing to call home about
Yo Mamma Card of 1987 Bo Jackson. Well, I have that one and- OH MY GOD, IT'S THE ORIGINAL BACK!
23- Shane Victorino
Turkey Red Gordon Beckham
Lineage- Joe Mauer and Tony Gywnn
HOLY CRAP, A GOLD CARD....OF ANDY PETTITE!!! WOOOOOOOO!

All in all, a good rip. But seriously- my local Targets have to stock up on Series 2

The Kid

Thanks Ken, for 22 great seasons. See you in Cooperstown.

(P.S- Could the umpire actually sleep last night?)