Local Card Show 3/10: They'll Put Anything in a Dime Box These Days...

This is my last semester of college, and it's the last time I'll be in the general vicinity of the White Plains Sports and Memorabilia show. So I figured I'd head back there, sort things out, have a good time. And I did.

As usual, I steered towards the dime bins rather than going towards vintage or any of that stuff, and there was a nice assortment of 10 cent bins all around the venue, ranging from recent stuff to the general amount of 90s/junkwax fodder. So I chose wisely, and looked for stuff that had evaded me, like this very fun 1995 UD shot of Wade Boggs in New York. Can't really go wrong there.

90s/00s Stuff: 

There's something about 1995 Fleer Emotion that just strikes me every time I see it. Maybe it's the wide zoom. Maybe it's the clear filter. Maybe it's the minimalistic design and BIG TEXT. I didn't have this one of Barry Larkin, so I nabbed it in a particular dime box that had some 90s stuff in it.

 These were some pieces of proof that Topps was doing pretty well in the late-90s. The sideways shots could be pretty dynamic, even with Frank Thomas only taking up a good 1/3 of the middle card (reminiscent of a 70s Topps card)

 Didn't have these 3 from 1998 Topps, so I threw them in, even if they're all pretty iconic players...and now all of them are in the Hall of Fame. How about that?

More 96-97s. The Mo and Pettitte are early career releases, the Rickey is from his short-lived stint in San Diego, and the Griffey is proof that the Kid's Topps cards are very elusive...mostly because they're rarely ever in 10 cent bins.

 Some 2007 Turkey Reds, because that set's a nice one. Highlights include an Andrew Miller rookie and a Chien-Ming Wang card.

 One brand that I hadn't accumulated much from was the 1990s Topps Archives reproductions, sets that reimagined 50s Tops sets with players and shots that didn't originally make the cut, in glossy fashion. I nabbed a Hoy Wilhelm, because how often do you find Hoyt cards?

 A few 54 reproductions. The Ashburn stands out, solely because I'm glad that Topps paid tribute to him more and more.

Annnnd here's a crap-ton of 53s. There's a smattering of reprints mixed with mockups of cards that should have been, like most of the bottom row, which look odd but are still welcome.

 Also, and this is a rarity for 10-cent bins these days, but 2005 TOPPS! YOU NEVER SEE ANYTHING FROM 2005 IN ANY BINS ANYMORE! Here are two of the top rookies from the set, both for a dime.

 Incredibly Recent Needs:

I know it hasn't worked as well this year, but the 1987 Topps subset worked really well last year, with the grain, card-stock and design all feeling right. I figured this Ian Desmond would be a nice get, along with several other recent sets that wound up in these bins.

 Yes, there was some recent Stadium Club, because of course there was. The Molina photo was new to me, and I really enjoyed it.

 And some 2017s, complete with a VERY NICE Warren Spahn, and an even cooler Trea Turner. I don't remember much about the 2018 design, but I remember being very minimalistic, and I'm not sure how much I dig it yet.

Some 2017 Gallery, which...was alright, I think. It could have been a lot worse. Some guys I collect, plus some rookies, including probable Marlins outfield starter Lewis Brinson.

 Some 2010/12 Update base cards that I somehow did not have. The Arrieta's a great one nowadays, as is the Reddick. The Beltre...I don't know how I didn't have that one yet.

 More cards of Pat Neshek as a Phillie are always welcome, especially since he's back in Philly this year.

A few of these inserts were mixed in with the base cards of 2017/18 Topps that you're gonna see later, but I don't blame these guys for not knowing the difference.

 Some Gypsy Queen inserts, literally my favorite part of that product.  Donaldson! Iglesias! Rizzo! Ortiz! All your favorites!

 I NEEDED ALL OF THESE CARDS FOR MY ARCHIVES SET-BUILDING. Most are from the 2016 set, but there's 4 in here from the 2012 set. That honestly leaves just 2 or 3 base cards and a shit-ton of short prints for 2012.

 There was a specific dealer that had a bunch of 2017 Update. Since I didn't buy a ton of packs of that one (on account of Topps not including traded players), this helped a ton, as it gave a ton of the really fun ASG photography.

 Also, HEY, A GOLD PARALLEL IN A 10 CENT BIN! OF AN ACTUAL GREAT PLAYER!

 Players traded in the pre-season that didn't make it into flagship. Nicely rectified. Though Maybin was already in Houston when this was released.

 TOOOOEEEEE!!!!!!!

This was the sharpest find. Yes, it's a St. Louis Cardinal, and that alone is bad, but this is a short print of Luke Weaver's S2 Rookie Card...and it made its way into Update...and it MADE ITS WAY INTO A DIME BOX. SO I get a pricy-ass SP for 10 cents as well.

There was also a bunch of 2017 Heritage, which I hadn't extensively bought, which was a nice touch. I love the fact that literally none of these people are currently employed by the team that they're pictured with. Literally none. Not even Bartolo Colon. He's in friggin Texas right now.

2018 Stuff:

Yeah. This is what we've got. Piles and piles and piles of 2018 products, because ALL OF THIS WAS IN THESE DIME BOXES. One specific one, to be honest, just had 2018 Heritage. And not just commons. LEGITIMATE STAR CARDS, TOO. Posey. Kershaw. Sale. Actual people that guys spend money on were in this box for 10 cents. The world has gone MAD!

 Yankees and Phillies first. The Frazier is sadly a time capsule now, while the Tanaka is a legitimately great card.

 Really nice photos here. Throwbacks, stadium lights, dramatic shots, and Brandon Phillips in an Angels uniform.

Annnnd awesome sideways shots. The D'Arnaud is a legitimately amazing photograph. I'm glad Topps used it. Same with the Hosmer.

 As for the Heritage, we once again start with the Yankees and Phillies. Lots of really good shit here. Yes, a lot of posed shots, but that was 1969 Topps for ya.

 All players I collect. Thames' beard is nice, as is Cespedes' bat and Pence's smile.

 A final tribute for Carlos Beltran, which is awfully nice of Topps.

 PLAYERS IN UNIFORMS THEY HAVEN'T EVEN WORN YET. Of all of these, Dee Gordon's is the best photoshop job. Kinsler's is the worst, though, to be fair, it is very, very hard to airbrush in red coloring.

 ALL OF THESE ARE NEW UNIFORMS AS OF JULY 2017. All people that were traded that didn't get Update Series cards. Only Verlander, Vogt, Upton, Kendrick, Doolittle and Quintana are still with these teams.

Annnnd the two more important grabs. Sonny Gray in pinstripes, and a look at Pat Neshek's short-lived tenure in Denver.

 Rookies:

This is...legitimately Michael Fulmer's rookie card. It is very legit, very cool, and I got it for 10 cents. It's from 2011 Bowman, and it's a zero-year card because Fulmer didn't get to play for the Mets before being traded for Yoenis Cespedes. It's a great card, and the first of many Bowman rookies I found at one specific dealer's table.

 ALL OF THESE. LEGIT ROOKIES, ALL OF THESE. Almora's even an XRC because he was a team USA guy. But LeMahieu and Arenado's rookies were in this box, from 2010 Bowman. Good shit.

 As an added bonus, a rookie card of one of the best third baseman in baseball...then a catcher. 10 cents for Donaldson rookie. Either prospecting has gone down or Donaldson's stock has.

 These are all from 2014 Bowman: Jesse Winker, Lewis Brinson, Lucas Giolito, Byron Buxton, Josh Bell, Luke Weaver, Christian Arroyo. AKA pretty much every great rookie prospect from last year.

 ALL OF THESE PEOPLE ARE CURRENTLY PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES. Williams, Crawford and Alfaro are all probably going to be starting this year. Ben Lively has a spot in the rotation. Only Crawford actually originated in the team's farm system- Williams and Alfaro were snagged for Cole Hamels, while Lively was snagged for Marlon Byrd.

 And here are some Yankee rookies. Gumby had a great rookie year last year, while Frazier had a great come-up, before his pre-2018 concussion.

 As an added bonus, 2017 Bowman stuff. None of these people have played an MLB game yet, though Ryan McMahon will be playing one next month, probably right before Scott Kingery does. Jason Groome's a local prospect, and Dillon Tate had a great season in the minors.

And, as an added bonus, a card of Gleyber Torres from Spring Training. Can't get much better than that, especially if he lives up to the hype.

Overall...not a bad card show, and not a bad way of signing off my cardshow-based tenure in the White Plains general area.

Box Break: 2014 Topps Bowman Football

I...really don't like Bowman.

I've never been a fan of rookie-centric products, because I'm not a rookie collector. I collect people who are good right now, and it's kinda nice when I pull a card of someone who ends up being halfway decent eventually. But pulling an autographed card of someone who is already out of the league by the time I go to post the box is not really a favorite feeling of mine.

Nevertheless, because my mystery contact wishes it so, I have to review a hobby box full of semi-premium rookie-centric crap. And because it came out before Topps, none of the rookies are wearing NFL garb, which is a bit infuriating, but oh well.

As you can see, I'll be getting four different autos, and a game-used. Let us pray they're of people I've heard of. There are ten mega-packs in the box, by the way. Each pack comes with some rookies, some veterans, and an insert/game-used.

Pack One- We're literally two cards in, and I've already pulled one of the few cards I actually wanted from Bowman. That was quick. Yeah, Michael Sam's rookie is a huge deal for me, as he's probably going to be a game-changer if he ever gets playing time, which I severely hope happens. Greg Robinson's also a well-publicized rookie.

This Ryan Shazier card is a red parallel. I believe these are #'d to 25, and I have to check, because I don't have the card in front of me. It's a numbered parallel of a rookie. They're all the same.

Here are some base cards. You can see that we pulled a Vincent Jackson, a Geno Atkins, Steve Johnson, Vincent Jackson, and LeSean McCoy, my man. There are black parallels, and extra shiny cards, but they don't really mean anything.

Our two inserts are a Bowman mini of a guy I can't really distinguish, and the other insert is a really cool Frank Gore insert.

Pack Two at least has an Eagle thrown in the rookie mix, but the black border is Jason Verrett.

Here are le base cards. Patrick Willis, Patrick Peterson, and a badly timed Ray Rice round 'em out.

I forget whether or not this shiny Alshon Jeffery is numbered. I doubt it.

Pack 3. Eric Ebron and Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix are the ones I've heard of. 

Base cards. Thankfully Eddie Lacy and DeSean Jackson are in here. 

Our first auto of the box is of Jason Verrett of the Chargers. Which...I guess is alright.

Meanwhile, this is a blue parallel, which means that it's numbered to 75.

Pack 4. The collation in these packs are a bit lackluster, as this happened with Eagle Taylor Hart.

A.J. Green, MJD, Andre Johnson, Brandon Marshall and Cordarrelle Patterson are the highlights here.

Tajh Boyd...boy, it'd be nice if I knew what team he played for Bowman, you better get on that, is our second autograph. Boyd has already been cut by the Jets. He was last seen trying out for the Bills. This is why I don't like rookie-centric products.

A bunch of rookies start off Pack 5. Teddy Bridgewater is one of the highlights here. Too bad Matt Cassel's blocking him out.

The base highlights include a guy who isn't even on the damn roster for his team (Pryor), as well as a guy made famous for being Manning's target.

HEY! We hit our game used! And even better, the game used is of someone I have heard of. Alshon Jeffery, while he's not the forefront of the offense like Marshall is, is still a nice asset to have, and will hopefully have a nice season this year.

Pack 6- Jimmy Garappolo was the rookie highlight here.

Three different parallels. I honestly forget what they're all numbered too, but all three are really nice.

Jordy Nelson, Jimmy Graham, Russell Wilson and RG3 are the base stars here.

Our 2nd die-cut is of Demaryius Thomas. Pretty nice.

The Raiders' Starting QB starts off Pack 7.

Parallel of the Falcons' Jerome Smith.

Frank Gore and JPP are the stars here. A lot of base doubles I didn't show.

Rob Gronkowski, who guest-starred on Whose Line is it Anyway during the offseason, is our third die-cut. 

Pack 8. Our sole non-double rookie is a shiny parallel of Jimmy Garappolo.

I forget if I had any of these base cards, but they're all really good.

Pack 9- The #1 Overall Pick, and the #1 picked QB are represented. 

My 3rd auto is a redemption. Yay. It's thankfully of a guy that's still employed, Jarvis Landry of the Dolphins. Dunno if I'll ever get it though.

Last few base cards. Welker, Cruz, Gronk, etc.

I was so disillusioned by this box that this was all I posted of pack 10. Our 4th Auto was of Lamarcus Joyner of the Rams. Thankfully he's still with the team. 

OVERALL: I'm sorry, but I really don't see the point of releasing a whole set around rookies, and then give all the rookies cards where they're still wearing college uniforms, and then just make autographed cards of people that aren't even going to make the roster. That is why you just make autos and relics of people who YOU KNOW are good, so that when somebody pulls one, they don't feel ripped off or disappointed, like I did when I pulled my autos. The box's only saving grace was the Alshon Jeffery game used card. 

But overall, I was even more pissed than I was after the Hot Rookies box, because at least that box was quick. This box...just kept going.

Rating: D+ Just pitiful, Topps.

Coming Soon: A box of a product that (hopefully) won't piss me off: 2014 Panini Elite.