The Holidays were approaching, it'd been a while since the last order. It was time.
I try to space out my JustCommons orders to accommodate set-building preferences, and this order was no exception- as you'll see by the last half of this post, I was working primarily on trying to cap off some sets that had been plaguing me for a while.
Of course, as it's JustCommons, I couldn't just do that, and embarked on a bunch of assorted frivolities in addition, like this Gypsy Queen insert of (sigh) former Phillie Carlos Ruiz.
This Cutch was one of the few Topps Fire inserts that I had any real intention to get, aside from the lucky few, like Harper, Kershaw and Thor, that landed in packs I opened. I didn't go for a ton of current inserts, as I didn't want them to weigh the order down, but this incredibly insane and detailed McCutchen was enough.
I went for a few small player-collections while I was here, including, as he's clearly moved beyond steroids, Bartolo Colon. Like with most players, my emphasis is on eras of odd-looking uniforms, so those Expos ones were welcome, especially the Diamond Kings one. Meanwhile, ChiSox Bart looks wary and anxious, like someone's about to steal his wallet.
Like usual, Adrian Gonzalez made the cart, as he's become one of the most likable and consistent hitters in the game, even after spending a third of his career in the minors. I still enjoy picking up Padres issues, though the Dodger ones are always welcome.
Of course, from then on I went sort of set-specific. I've never been very reliant on Allen and Ginter, picking up cards when I can. The 2007 set I have next to none of, so throwing in a now-rare Yankee Abreu was a nice touch.
Pat Burrell is on the HOF ballot this year, and I'm doubting he'll stick around, though I'll still collect him religiously. Beltran's Mets era is sadly forgotten in favor of emphasizing his time in St. Louis, Kansas City and...the Bronx, to be honest.
They had a nice amount of 2003 Topps, so I bit. Middle row all played for the Yankees at some point. McGriff and Pierre are in here because I love collecting them. Jake Peavy is the only one here that's still playing.
Two Diamond Kings for the road. Delgado's still good for collecting, as is a pretty nice Larry Walker sketch. I doubt Walker's a Hall of Famer, but I'm still collecting him.
Four of the Topps Stars insert series from the late-2000's, all guys I collect. I wish Topps inserts would go back to stuff like Own the Game, Hobby Masters, and Stars, instead of some seriously mailed in inserts that we're getting now.
Gypsy Queen took up a great deal of the cart. I collected a lot of the first two versions of the product, but once the blogosphere lost faith in it, so did I. The inserts are still some of the best in all of sports cards, though, especially this Adam Jones one.
2014 set highlights. Chooch and Desmond have some pretty nice throwbacks. Tulo, Marky and Greinke have moved on to other teams, leaving Jayson Werth as the only person here still in this uniform...somehow.
Astro-related cardboard. McCann, as awesome as he was as a Yankee, will be playing there this year, and Craig Biggio's still a huge part of their history.
2013 set highlights. All three are ex-Phillies. Only Werth and Ibanez actually played together during that era. Also, nice to see Raul back on the Mariners, even if it was only for a season.
Retired legends. The left half I'm surprised that Topps included in this set, especially Blyleven in an Angels uniform.
2008 Upper Deck Timeline, as impossible as it is to collect, is a pretty great set, and there's a lot of likability in its insanity. Plus, here's a card of Adam Dunn on the Diamondbacks. Don't see that everyday.
A few cards from 2013 Topps that I didn't have, including an early card of DJ LeMahieu, and an odd footnote on Francisco Rodriguez' fantastic career.
Two horizontal 2013s. Kazmir did a run in Cleveland right as the comeback was starting. Kole Calhoun, seen here before he became a nice-enough star for the Angels.
1995 Donruss is a set that goes way back for me, so these were nice inclusions, especially a final-year issue of Dave Stewart, and a rare card of Andre Dawson in Boston.
Three cards from 2002 Upper Deck 40 man, which was a nice attempt at recreating Topps Total. Lofton in Chicago is an odd but enlightening inclusion, while the other two...I collect. So they had to come.
Two players in Minor League sets that...might be pretty big someday. I did well in nabbing a ton of Gary Sanchez cards a few years ago, so might as well do a smidge more prospecting, then.
Three more inclusions to the 2007 Dick Perez sketches set that I'm building. Michael Young looks a bit awkward, Joe Mauer looks good, and I have no idea why Gary Matthews was in this set.
Trading Places is another cool little insert set that I can't help but collect, as it got my attention in 2007, my first year of collecting. Greg Maddux was one of the few players I collect in this set that I didn't have yet.
Plus, three more additions to the First Pitch collection I'm harvesting. Chance the Rapper, because he's huge in my demographic, James Taylor because he's my mom's favorite, and Jimmy Kimmel because he's Jimmy Kimmel.
Right. Now for the SET NEEDS.
Tim Raines looks amazing in this shot. This was also the last of the 1995 Stadium Club Cover Story subset that I needed, which is pretty nice.
I also managed to knock out a few from a set I've been collecting ON THE BLOG ever since it came out, 2010 National Chicle. Mark Buehrle looks pretty nice here, actually.
Four more i needed. The top two are a bit awkwardly designed, but the bottom two are a ton cooler. Victorino, because he's a hometown hero, and Molly just looks pretty cool.
I nabbed a few from 1996 Stadium Club, as the box breaks didn't get a ton of the set, but I at least wanted to start. These were the nicer photographs, as the Fonville and Colbrunn are pretty cool.
Also, this Doug Jones back-card shot is pretty great as well.
1995 Topps took priority, as I didn't have a ton left on the want lists and I was trying to do my best to pound as much as I could out. This isn't everything, but mostly the highlights, including Bagwell, Denny Martinez, a leaping Thomas Howard, and Mike Kelly and a bunch of bats.
With these four 1992 Stadium Club cards, I came WITHIN ONE CARD of completing the set. So close. All I need is Jose Mesa and I can knock that one off.
Speaking of cards I needed, these two 1990 Topps ones put me within one card of completing THAT set was well. And the only card I need...is #755, Rafael Palmeiro. I'm insanely close, but unless something catastrophic happens, I'll complete this set this year.
So...that was a pretty solid JC run, and I got a lot of accomplished. Probably not the last one of the year.
