tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12041530404825507852024-03-13T14:12:26.923-07:00Twitch Collects CardsTwitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-30134621585987665572019-12-24T11:33:00.003-08:002019-12-24T11:33:44.509-08:00It's a Christmas Miracle!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FrCbniRzvCA/XgJBhgQFjvI/AAAAAAAACjI/3P4Bdy_IyCUC482d78zzExgb9dyEtvBzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191219_175031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FrCbniRzvCA/XgJBhgQFjvI/AAAAAAAACjI/3P4Bdy_IyCUC482d78zzExgb9dyEtvBzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/20191219_175031.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This wrapping paper is simply... Marvelous.</td></tr>
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Me. Me posting to the blog is the Christmas miracle. Sorry I've been away so long. It uh... It has been a year. But in catching with the Card Blogger Secret Santa at the last minute, I vowed to our fearless leader <a href="http://pennysleevethoughts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b><i>Jon</i></b></a> that I would at least get my haul on the blog. I had hoped to do more, since I also had a 300 card (precisely 258 of which were for myself) monster COMC haul featuring 30 sketch cards and tons & tons of non-sport & multi-sport items. But of course, I screwed that up pretty quickly. Oh well, maybe next year. January will be another massive shipment that will be mostly major sports cards, so I will need to at least get December's scanned & filed away, even if I don't do anymore bloggin'.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5N9zm7SiQ54/XgJBhg09qEI/AAAAAAAACkk/Z6NGy0H0Uuwyts5Ni6b4Euu2Dgv7WoFbQCEwYBhgL/s1600/20191219_174709_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="566" height="282" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5N9zm7SiQ54/XgJBhg09qEI/AAAAAAAACkk/Z6NGy0H0Uuwyts5Ni6b4Euu2Dgv7WoFbQCEwYBhgL/s400/20191219_174709_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tin will get lots of non-trading card use..</td></tr>
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But anyway! The Secret Santa haul! I only had the time & (not even really the) energy for photos for this post, unfortunately. Getting the post up was the most important thing though, so... Here goes!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lVhkMOXFXuQ/XgJBhpR5IAI/AAAAAAAACkY/ZekSQdsmuFEil68LguYDxVFA-8a7qNH0gCEwYBhgL/s1600/20191219_174700_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="505" height="316" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lVhkMOXFXuQ/XgJBhpR5IAI/AAAAAAAACkY/ZekSQdsmuFEil68LguYDxVFA-8a7qNH0gCEwYBhgL/s400/20191219_174700_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mainly for haulin' art supplies places..</td></tr>
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My goodness, <a href="https://collectingcutch.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b><i>Collecting Cutch</i></b></a> did such an amazing job with this in every way. The presentation was magnificent, and not cheap. I don't have the box handy, but I believe shipping was something like $8? Then there was the appropriately treasure chest shaped Christmas tin they came in, wrapped in that delightful Marvel Comics wrapping paper at the top of the post. Inside the tin, the cards themselves were even wrapped in small lots. I wish I'd had the money & energy to put that kind of care into mine, tbh. It *felt* like a Christmas gift. So cool!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TlOAq5cBlac/XgJBjbLjyWI/AAAAAAAACkM/cuaUMofONGU4MnZYO6FqsBL5n4JHAVckwCEwYBhgL/s1600/20191219_180341_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1022" height="195" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TlOAq5cBlac/XgJBjbLjyWI/AAAAAAAACkM/cuaUMofONGU4MnZYO6FqsBL5n4JHAVckwCEwYBhgL/s400/20191219_180341_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now for some cards!</td></tr>
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All I could muster was what looked like a pretty typical trade package. I did repurpose a bit of the wrapping paper to partially cover the lot and wrote a lil note of holiday wishes, but it badly pales in comparison. Bryan went all out, and I am so not worthy of that level of effort.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8BMwSFuRioU/XgJBjtCDMeI/AAAAAAAACkU/rMaPdIeQIMEw-FEYmYv-L4NFwrOqRJgPQCEwYBhgL/s1600/20191219_180517_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="809" height="271" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8BMwSFuRioU/XgJBjtCDMeI/AAAAAAAACkU/rMaPdIeQIMEw-FEYmYv-L4NFwrOqRJgPQCEwYBhgL/s400/20191219_180517_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More base Cubs..</td></tr>
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As for the package itself, as you can see, there were a handful of random Cubbies. I think I had everything but the Heritage in these first couple pics, but these were mostly filler anyway.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qpXYNTTtItA/XgJBkJN0v1I/AAAAAAAACkM/Pn0uCVGyNCgZ3y1yKyYHUF3UQnfJ--yjQCEwYBhgL/s1600/20191219_180623_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="863" height="231" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qpXYNTTtItA/XgJBkJN0v1I/AAAAAAAACkM/Pn0uCVGyNCgZ3y1yKyYHUF3UQnfJ--yjQCEwYBhgL/s400/20191219_180623_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buntybois..</td></tr>
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I think the Bunt cards may be entirely new to me though. I only ever bought a pack or two, and I believe my only Cub was a blue Lester parallel. Anyway, the design is really nice. Floaty ball pics are also cool.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Buntybois & Schwarbers..</td></tr>
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The black & White Schwarber may well go straight to his binder page & stay there. It just looks good. Hendricks could also make it in as temporary filler, at least. I like my single pages to be blingier, but I still don't have much in the way of fancier (#'ed, hits, tougher inserts, etc) stuff of The Professor yet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RKOayEgAz-c/XgJBkZbt78I/AAAAAAAACkc/zo3a9W4xqmkJAZLQM_h7A19xtpU841cCwCEwYBhgL/s1600/20191219_180702_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="854" height="257" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RKOayEgAz-c/XgJBkZbt78I/AAAAAAAACkc/zo3a9W4xqmkJAZLQM_h7A19xtpU841cCwCEwYBhgL/s400/20191219_180702_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bryzzo..</td></tr>
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Finishing the Cub run with a nice blue Walmart blaster parallel of Rizz & one last Bunt of KB. Good stuff. Happy to see there was plenty of useful filler in there. But now onto the meat of the package.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9LsgmiQhwO8/XgJBiOk_pKI/AAAAAAAACkU/a1RJN3yZi384kb-hsB3PxxI_o6LTg9XkQCEwYBhgL/s1600/20191219_175301_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="778" height="282" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9LsgmiQhwO8/XgJBiOk_pKI/AAAAAAAACkU/a1RJN3yZi384kb-hsB3PxxI_o6LTg9XkQCEwYBhgL/s400/20191219_175301_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McCutchen!</td></tr>
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Before we move on from the baseball, a little McCutchen-y goodness from the supercollector himself. The tree is an on-card painting! And given how thematically on-point everything else in this package was, the thought balloon being on the penny sleeve functions as a nice subtle homage to our host Jon as well. 😁<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6nkNlwVBdvA/XgJBisJdn-I/AAAAAAAACkY/RO2azx-zhowtOnQFtuGEo7xpzNLnK0CGwCEwYBhgL/s1600/20191219_175728_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="671" height="237" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6nkNlwVBdvA/XgJBisJdn-I/AAAAAAAACkY/RO2azx-zhowtOnQFtuGEo7xpzNLnK0CGwCEwYBhgL/s400/20191219_175728_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brad Utterstrom Prints!</td></tr>
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Apologies for the terrible pics on these rad Brad Utterstrom promos & prints. I didn't realize how badly they came out until I transferred them from my phone to the computer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wCXF3a9TkFU/XgJBjO1JlHI/AAAAAAAACkk/R3o5U0iYEO0-0DKwt2u6AJNFoJYvxLo5ACEwYBhgL/s1600/20191219_175946_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="559" height="285" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wCXF3a9TkFU/XgJBjO1JlHI/AAAAAAAACkk/R3o5U0iYEO0-0DKwt2u6AJNFoJYvxLo5ACEwYBhgL/s400/20191219_175946_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More promo/prints..</td></tr>
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Adequately capturing the sheer quality would've been nigh impossible anyway, I guess. These things belong in a museum. I <i>am</i> making the these two cards available to whoever wants them, however. I like to spread the love around when I feel I've been treated far too kindly anyway, but also, zombie stuff just ain't my thing. And the Wampa should probably be in the hands of a more serious Star Wars fan than myself as well. So go ahead & claim them in the comments & email me your address and I'll send it your way PWE style sometime early next year. One per person. First come, first served.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1W7kkpNC2C8/XgJBjQf7oeI/AAAAAAAACkM/yIPa1pHxblgH-p1x2fSH12QbxqBufFJAACEwYBhgL/s1600/20191219_180155_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="645" data-original-width="501" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1W7kkpNC2C8/XgJBjQf7oeI/AAAAAAAACkM/yIPa1pHxblgH-p1x2fSH12QbxqBufFJAACEwYBhgL/s400/20191219_180155_2.jpg" width="310" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last of the prints..</td></tr>
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I was initially confizzled as to whether or not this incredible Mickey Mantle and the landscape above were prints or real because this one felt like it had actually been drawn on, but Bryan confirmed they were prints over on the Twitters. It was mainly just so I knew which binder to put them in, because they are rad as heck regardless.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sPneHt-Bnjk/XgJBkUZJpbI/AAAAAAAACkQ/1iAMjBQnNr0RLoPwI7Wp722_sEQVWSAZACEwYBhgL/s1600/20191219_181103_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="845" height="260" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sPneHt-Bnjk/XgJBkUZJpbI/AAAAAAAACkQ/1iAMjBQnNr0RLoPwI7Wp722_sEQVWSAZACEwYBhgL/s400/20191219_181103_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WWE Superstar "The Outlaw" Jane Russell..</td></tr>
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Moving away from the art prints but still keepin' it artsy with some Breygent movie posters. They are kinda glittery! I dunno if these are parallels or just base cards or what, since I've never had anything but sketch cards from this run of sets. They're pretty cool though!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m-57isfN32U/XgJBsU2WNUI/AAAAAAAACkc/9JDL9nz3CGotXMbw3k8uNyU2duycj6K5wCEwYBhgL/s1600/20191219_181407_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="501" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m-57isfN32U/XgJBsU2WNUI/AAAAAAAACkc/9JDL9nz3CGotXMbw3k8uNyU2duycj6K5wCEwYBhgL/s400/20191219_181407_2.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That growth on the side of his head ain't messin' around..</td></tr>
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And one more for good measure. The hand growing out of ol' Stagger Lee's face is packin' heat! And now you'll never be able see or think about him without the vision of his massive gun-totin' face boil haunting the very depths of your soul ever again! Christmas!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NpAxPCNEGnE/XgJBkjLiqgI/AAAAAAAACkQ/6IsLNiWupPwlKUam0Rc5Dan1QwqXcObTACEwYBhgL/s1600/20191219_181159_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="710" height="140" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NpAxPCNEGnE/XgJBkjLiqgI/AAAAAAAACkQ/6IsLNiWupPwlKUam0Rc5Dan1QwqXcObTACEwYBhgL/s200/20191219_181159_2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front..</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ma4n82hJY3U/XgJBlEaQo3I/AAAAAAAACkU/ez07iqpmM9InRRzFzSdqGGZ7X_QL7Kl6ACEwYBhgL/s1600/20191219_181232_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="722" height="138" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ma4n82hJY3U/XgJBlEaQo3I/AAAAAAAACkU/ez07iqpmM9InRRzFzSdqGGZ7X_QL7Kl6ACEwYBhgL/s200/20191219_181232_2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back.. </td></tr>
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Heading down the stretch with this AWESOME Carddass (really?) Street Fighter card of underrated G1 (or would it be Gen 2?) combatant Edmond Honda! Gotta find one of these of my girl Chun-Li now.<br />
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Thank you so much for sticking with me this long. Now comes the reward for your patience. It's hit time!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6INqXB-XZO4/XgJBsRTv5II/AAAAAAAACkg/EFKHt8jNtGM_ma76dLuB7e3Qe-UlOAztQCEwYBhgL/s1600/20191219_181344_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="830" height="265" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6INqXB-XZO4/XgJBsRTv5II/AAAAAAAACkg/EFKHt8jNtGM_ma76dLuB7e3Qe-UlOAztQCEwYBhgL/s400/20191219_181344_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Careful Ems, there's a snake in that sand trap!</td></tr>
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Outside the top tier names, Goodwin Champions are always pretty cheap hits, so Emily making is an easy choice for a smol budget Secret Santa event like this, but from what I can find, a Jessica Henwick auto would probably more than break the $10 limit all on her own! Aside from her role on GoT, she can also be found in the Star Wars & MCU franchises in somewhat similarly situated roles as pilot Jess "Testor" Pava and Colleen Wing, long saving grace of the lamentable Iron Fist series on Netflix.<br />
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If you didn't see why I felt extremely spoiled & felt the need to spread the love around, well... We haven't even gotten to the sketch cards yet!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kF_wHuiPYog/XgJBsRHdwNI/AAAAAAAACkY/FegE4vmu31klzF_YakPzlxHC9RXDEAl3QCEwYBhgL/s1600/20191219_181438_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kF_wHuiPYog/XgJBsRHdwNI/AAAAAAAACkY/FegE4vmu31klzF_YakPzlxHC9RXDEAl3QCEwYBhgL/s400/20191219_181438_2.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multiple Man by Dave Strong..</td></tr>
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First up, one of my fave underutilized X-Men dudes from the early serieseseses of Upper Deck's revival of the ol' Fleer/Skybox Marvel Masterpieces line. This is dated 2008 on the back, which makes this series two or three, I believe. So yeah, it's from a time long before the brand name went high end in the mid-2010s. This is also cool because I'm a huge sucker for multi-character sketches, even when they're just of the same one three times, lol (my favorite amongst my suddenly expansive Wasp sketch card collection is also like that).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9NAiekl7mKY/XgJBss5G95I/AAAAAAAACkk/N75RqT9JGbkCphf9wtOlgT07idDquYtBQCEwYBhgL/s1600/20191219_181456_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9NAiekl7mKY/XgJBss5G95I/AAAAAAAACkk/N75RqT9JGbkCphf9wtOlgT07idDquYtBQCEwYBhgL/s400/20191219_181456_3.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Witchblade by Jon Racimo..</td></tr>
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And Bobby Lastly but not Bobby Leastly (shoutout to the <i>dude</i> <b><i><a href="https://twitter.com/TomCampbell" target="_blank">Tom Campbell</a></i></b>), we have a Witchblade sketch card. Racimo is on the lower end, and I do have a couple by him from this set already from the massive 57 card lot I picked up a few years back. But I like this one way better than the ones I already had, so this will be the one that gets the binder spot!<br />
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That's it! What a haul. Thank you again, Cutchmaster B. You are a legend. I don't know when exactly it will be, but a thank you sketch of your dude has been dialed up in my art queue. May the force<br />
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Thanks everyone for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful holiday & rest of the year, and a pleasant 2020. Live long & prosper/May The Force be with you/May the odds be ever in your favor/etc/so forth.<br />
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<i>Until our next...</i></div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-8763746667196369662019-01-08T02:44:00.001-08:002019-01-08T02:44:58.636-08:00OutThis... has been a long time coming. If you follow me on any of my social medias (well, my side account on Twitter, my main one was suspended for saying fundamentally truthful things about TERFs and mean, but also honest, things about the president), then you likely already know this. But I've been part of this card blogging community since almost before it even really was one, and I know a lot of you aren't on social media much, if at all, and plenty who are don't cross paths with me much, if at all. So I feel it's important to state it here too.<br />
<br />
I am gender fluid.<br />
<br />
Further, the more I test the bounds of my femininity, the more obvious it becomes to me that the general lean to my gender is a lot more female than the male you knew me as.<br />
<br />
From the time I started privately coming out to a few of my closer internet confidants in the summer to coming fully out into the open at the tail end of the 2018, I've experienced nothing but love and support. Even as I continue struggling with a long, lingering bout of unrelated depression, for the first time in a long time, I feel genuinely hopeful for the future. I have something to look forward to and strive for again. I'm not nearly whole yet, but I have a better understanding of who I am than I ever have before.<br />
<br />
Hopefully coming out here can be a pleasant, drama-free experience as well. Looking back, it's clear to me that I had been feeling my way towards this point long before I began to consciously acknowledge or understand it. So perhaps, if not this specifically, it's possible a few of you may have even guessed something was up with me when I hadn't even realized it yet myself. I dunno.<br />
<br />
But anyway, I'm still me. I'm just working toward becoming the truest version of myself. The blog, such as it is, will remain almost entirely about my cards and my art. I don't intend to talk at length about this much on here unless it pertains to my creative endeavors or collecting in a pretty direct way. I have all my social media outlets for that.<br />
<br />
I will be happy to answer any questions you may have to the best of my ability, however.<br />
<br />
Thank you for your time. I have every intention of reeling off a decent little stretch of posts again soon. If I play my cards right, there will be contests with fabulously passable prizes somewhere around my birthday in February.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Until our next...</i></div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-54029916338101214772018-09-26T13:18:00.000-07:002018-09-26T13:18:25.818-07:00Summer of Sketch Vol. 5: RandomsThis is the fifth and final episode of the Summer of Sketch! As noted in all the way back in episode two, not all the sketch cards I picked up on COMC had a specific place in my collection in mind when I got them. Some just happened to be cheap enough when I had the money or I just happened to like the style or what have you. So today's post is dedicated to my most random pickups of the bunch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BPy3vNk3ZpA/W3wqKEhgcRI/AAAAAAAACFU/hu20WBV8e14dgxSD14kYPuEn1gpwz-fxACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2008%2BRittenhouse%2BFantastic%2BFour%2BArchives%2BInvisible%2BWoman%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BThony%2BSilva.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="514" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BPy3vNk3ZpA/W3wqKEhgcRI/AAAAAAAACFU/hu20WBV8e14dgxSD14kYPuEn1gpwz-fxACPcBGAYYCw/s400/2008%2BRittenhouse%2BFantastic%2BFour%2BArchives%2BInvisible%2BWoman%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BThony%2BSilva.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Invisible Woman by Thony Silas..</td></tr>
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Leading off with my favorite of the bunch. This one is so good I probably would have eventually broken down & bought it at full price if the money ever lined up right. Fortunately it dropped by more than half during the sale COMC ran concurrently with the National Sports Collectors Convention at the beginning of this month.<br />
<br />
Another cool aspect of this card is that Fantastic Four Archives was the set I pulled my first sketch card on my own (I still don't think I've quite hit double digits yet). Somehow I'd never manage to pick up anything else from this set in the probably seven or eight years since, so this is still only my second card from the set.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WpCf-xbRJDY/W3xI5llKLlI/AAAAAAAACLU/Wy1OZZAONbUpfKMx2Us-maRqh8NwdNr-ACLcBGAs/s1600/007%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="519" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WpCf-xbRJDY/W3xI5llKLlI/AAAAAAAACLU/Wy1OZZAONbUpfKMx2Us-maRqh8NwdNr-ACLcBGAs/s400/007%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Cat by Eric Hutchison..</td></tr>
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I have at least two or three other Black Cat sketch cards already, and while I like the character, I'm not really into her enough to want a full page. I thought this one was pretty nice, so eh, why not? Sometimes you just have to take what you can get when it's there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zl0zuLxTbuE/W3wqHvLuAyI/AAAAAAAACGE/6V7MQcbuibYw7SAtFb1HJ6XxkV09tfytgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2017%2BUD%2BMarvel%2BPremier%2BWasp%2BSketch%2BCard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="514" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zl0zuLxTbuE/W3wqHvLuAyI/AAAAAAAACGE/6V7MQcbuibYw7SAtFb1HJ6XxkV09tfytgCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2017%2BUD%2BMarvel%2BPremier%2BWasp%2BSketch%2BCard.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marvel Premier Wasp by Matthew Hirons..</td></tr>
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Insofar as buying sketch cards can ever be a regrettable decision for me, these next couple might qualify. I have a Psylocke by this artist that I really like, but Wasp isn't amongst my favorite characters (Earth's Mightiest Heroes cartoon version notwithstanding) and I don't feel like the lens flare effect works nearly as well here as it did on Psylocke. I got antsy and paid slightly more than I would have liked on both of these too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QBBVpgOGq4M/W3wqjaroO2I/AAAAAAAACGE/lt4f0GmJAnkcntv8mEQQiYRJTVHuzpOgACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Upper%2BDeck%2BCaptain%2BAmerica%2B75th%2BAnniversary%2BAgent%2B13%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BCris%2BSantos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QBBVpgOGq4M/W3wqjaroO2I/AAAAAAAACGE/lt4f0GmJAnkcntv8mEQQiYRJTVHuzpOgACPcBGAYYCw/s400/Upper%2BDeck%2BCaptain%2BAmerica%2B75th%2BAnniversary%2BAgent%2B13%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BCris%2BSantos.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cap 75th Anniversary Agent 13 by Cris Santos..</td></tr>
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Agent 13 is another character I have little concern for and I didn't feel great about it for the price (I didn't break the bank over either one, but sketch cards are inherently more expensive than anything else to start with, so...). I also already had a decent sketch of her already, but unlike Wasp, I am much fonder of the style on this one. The character in question is just even more whatever. I would consider trading either of these, or keeping this Agent 13 & trading the other, for a sketch card of similar quality of a character I like better.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_dmyDn1tEU/W3wqJ5HkcAI/AAAAAAAACFY/tNDO1WeEPQ0QVtRWDdd_7AvtvtNxlzcJgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2005%2BRittenhouse%2BXena%2Band%2BHercules%2BCallisto%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BJohn%2BCzop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="604" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_dmyDn1tEU/W3wqJ5HkcAI/AAAAAAAACFY/tNDO1WeEPQ0QVtRWDdd_7AvtvtNxlzcJgCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2005%2BRittenhouse%2BXena%2Band%2BHercules%2BCallisto%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BJohn%2BCzop.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xena and Herc Animated Callisto by John Czop..</td></tr>
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We'll end this post, and the series, on a high note with the new oldest sketch card in my collection. This uncirculated gem is of major recurring Xena antagonist Callisto. It's from the 2005 Animated Adventures set. I vaguely recall an animated crossover movie when I was younger, but I'm certain it was well before 2005. I dunno. I loved both live action series though (and pretty much all of the many knockoffs they inspired, especially Sinbad).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wwY1M9o7Qvs/W3wqJjMBQpI/AAAAAAAACFk/_tRvgttaxAkKBypYtThnDq1Gi4RymJjQwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2005%2BRittenhouse%2BXena%2Band%2BHercules%2BCallisto%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BJohn%2BCzop-%2BBack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="602" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wwY1M9o7Qvs/W3wqJjMBQpI/AAAAAAAACFk/_tRvgttaxAkKBypYtThnDq1Gi4RymJjQwCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2005%2BRittenhouse%2BXena%2Band%2BHercules%2BCallisto%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BJohn%2BCzop-%2BBack.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back..</td></tr>
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And that'll do it. Hope you enjoyed this series. Thanks for stopping by!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Until our next...</i></div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-27594303703469719282018-09-18T22:49:00.000-07:002018-09-18T22:49:47.782-07:00My Unofficial Goodwin Champions Collection Vol. 5: Goudey Greats!Time for the final installment in my Goodwin Champions PC series! This one is all about that Goudey goodness.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TVU8Y_JBS2A/W3r9HspbMJI/AAAAAAAAB8E/YjuetV6Cj98LhoYT0WcbKAodG_Nd2WJAQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BCM%2BPunk%2BGoudey%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="514" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TVU8Y_JBS2A/W3r9HspbMJI/AAAAAAAAB8E/YjuetV6Cj98LhoYT0WcbKAodG_Nd2WJAQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BCM%2BPunk%2BGoudey%2BAutograph.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CP Munk (look it up)!</td></tr>
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Starting things off with my third most expensive card from Goodwin Champions, CM Punk at his most Wolverine-est! I want to say WolverPunk was right around $9.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ldOt7Kx8Nps/W3wkB0aJzSI/AAAAAAAACC4/Jn9mxQ2C0TsWyOzwarO-cI1Gd2jPCOAoQCLcBGAs/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BKevin%2BHarvick%2BGoudey%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="519" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ldOt7Kx8Nps/W3wkB0aJzSI/AAAAAAAACC4/Jn9mxQ2C0TsWyOzwarO-cI1Gd2jPCOAoQCLcBGAs/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BKevin%2BHarvick%2BGoudey%2BAutograph.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some race car man..</td></tr>
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Goudey was Upper Deck's first answer to Topps' Allen & Ginter. It ran as its own brand from 2007-2009 and it was... mostly good. Year one were entirely the small square size of original 1930s Goudey, and had a weird duality gimmick to them. 2008 was the best version, though like with any artsy set, there were a few Dick Perez specials. 2009 had a serious flaw in that much of the set looked like horrifying waxy, plasticy abominations of nature, but if you can get past it, it was still as fun a rip as any other.<br />
<br />
Later years used the original Goudey/Sport Kings size for minis. I don't know for sure if they were one-per-pack in 2008, but I vaguely recall them being every other pack in the blaster of 2009 I picked up a few years back. I dunno though. I'd love to bust some more of the original run someday, but I haven't come across any since that blaster.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MeqDEownljE/W3r9L-UmCBI/AAAAAAAAB8Q/bqfCH5dJPps_fyWlfY8-pn1swXO3ofyPQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BJeremy%2BRoenick%2BGoudey%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="517" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MeqDEownljE/W3r9L-UmCBI/AAAAAAAAB8Q/bqfCH5dJPps_fyWlfY8-pn1swXO3ofyPQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BJeremy%2BRoenick%2BGoudey%2BAutograph.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Former Blackhawk great Jeremy Roenick..</td></tr>
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Goudey likely would have continued as its own brand had Topps not ruined the entire card industry forevermore by nabbing an exclusive license to lord their boring garbage products over the rest of us with. Now pretty much every sport except soccer (& maybe hockey still?) are exclusively produced by a single company and, pardon my language, but well... it fucking sucks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g01v2RWsdWE/W3wlVQGzC3I/AAAAAAAACDM/ahUrOt0CPA4rJNjpEBLAOkLsiFxDyonQgCLcBGAs/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BGoudey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1407" data-original-width="1027" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g01v2RWsdWE/W3wlVQGzC3I/AAAAAAAACDM/ahUrOt0CPA4rJNjpEBLAOkLsiFxDyonQgCLcBGAs/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BGoudey.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Non-autos? So that's just like inserts then..</td></tr>
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Fortunately, UD was eventually able to find a place for the brand within Goodwin Champions line. I'm not sure, but I might not actually have that Miesha "Flukiest Champion in the History of Sports" Tate anymore. I might have sent it to the <b><i><u><a href="https://razcardblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">currently hiatusing(?) Raz</a></u></i></b> in the package I sent him in July. If not, and I can find it, it'll go to him next time. I think it's fair to say I don't think much of her as a fighter.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z-jhA5NW_u4/W3sJ_iR1rXI/AAAAAAAACAQ/kHSlTjIm6u4qXEQHPajreL6D3PjSyAi1QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2016%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BLindsey%2BVonn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="503" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z-jhA5NW_u4/W3sJ_iR1rXI/AAAAAAAACAQ/kHSlTjIm6u4qXEQHPajreL6D3PjSyAi1QCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2016%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BLindsey%2BVonn.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One more 2016 insert..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8z8yVp_x290/W3sGzHrlZRI/AAAAAAAAB_Q/dN-ijJgHZq4MGJjypVbS_IVNasZv8IGBgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Goodwin%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8z8yVp_x290/W3sGzHrlZRI/AAAAAAAAB_Q/dN-ijJgHZq4MGJjypVbS_IVNasZv8IGBgCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Goodwin%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And a 2017..</td></tr>
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While I like the simplicity and colorfulness of 2016's Goudey inserts, I love the look of 2017's. It's better to me in every way. This looks like it could be the base set design for a standalone Goudey product, and I am <i>feeling</i> it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-St6vFOZLM94/W3sFIYNavXI/AAAAAAAAB-0/8bi7-yLm4603vo3UgaeL5Bm8LVpTwmDLQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BAmanda%2BNunes%2BGoudey%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-St6vFOZLM94/W3sFIYNavXI/AAAAAAAAB-0/8bi7-yLm4603vo3UgaeL5Bm8LVpTwmDLQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BAmanda%2BNunes%2BGoudey%2BAutograph.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much MMA!</td></tr>
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Here it is in autographed form, with professional asskicker Amanda Nunes. I like that the brand/nameplate and space for the autograph take up considerably less room, and that they used fuller body photographs in this iteration.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_YNRe27LxQU/W3sKDywlrWI/AAAAAAAACAQ/K8RcCCpvPAQpFiWHubOcGySaCCfd2hfJACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Goodwin%2BAmanda%2BNunes%2BGoudey%2BSport%2BRoyalty%2BRelic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_YNRe27LxQU/W3sKDywlrWI/AAAAAAAACAQ/K8RcCCpvPAQpFiWHubOcGySaCCfd2hfJACPcBGAYYCw/s400/Goodwin%2BAmanda%2BNunes%2BGoudey%2BSport%2BRoyalty%2BRelic.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mo' 'Manda..</td></tr>
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Finally, an important aspect of the original Upper Deck Goudey run was the Sport Royalty subset, which was a part of the run of shortprints. As the name implies, it featured stars from other sports. I tried to complete the 2008 set, but I didn't make it too far.<br />
<br />
Presidents, certain base legends, black & white photos, and Heads Up cards made up the rest of the shortprint run over the brand's lifespan, but I think Sport Royalty may have been the only consistent SP'd subset across all three years. You could also pull the SPs in mini form in all the various hues of parallel. I'm not sure about relics, but I'm certain it was possible to pull autos of at least some of the subjects.<br />
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That puts a bow on this series for now. But once September's shipment arrives and gets scanned & edited into bite-sized chunks, I will likely have the means to produce at least two more installments in this series. So look forward to that. Or don't. The flake-out <i>is</i> inevitable, after all. Thanks for stopping by though. I really do appreciate it.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Until our next...</i></div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-75253727696403116522018-09-11T22:25:00.000-07:002018-09-11T22:25:48.831-07:00Summer of Sketch Vol. 4: Character PagesPart four of the Summer of Sketch series brings perhaps my most important pickups to the table. These are the Single Page Sensations and full collections of specific characters in my sketch card PC. I was able to make a half-dozen new additions to these collections, and here they be.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_DOxPeb2xrQ/W3wqZfWdECI/AAAAAAAACF4/jCyX1W460ZAE_PnPt7SJgDwefC6BvPiegCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Daredevil%2BSeasons%2B1%2B%2526%2B2%2BEcho%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BMarlo%2BAgunos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_DOxPeb2xrQ/W3wqZfWdECI/AAAAAAAACF4/jCyX1W460ZAE_PnPt7SJgDwefC6BvPiegCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Daredevil%2BSeasons%2B1%2B%2526%2B2%2BEcho%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BMarlo%2BAgunos.jpg" width="284" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daredevil Seasons 1 & 2 Echo by Marla Agunos..</td></tr>
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This is arguably my favorite card of this bunch, which is why I'm leading with it. It's all-around great, but there's something about the expression on her face that I'm particularly fond of. So many possible emotions being expressed in such a simple way. Brilliant!<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yNUSf1XSEW4/W3w9xZ1IonI/AAAAAAAACIk/Edel4FtC7so9LIKCgiE1_jNO6n__mhGmwCLcBGAs/s1600/Guardians%2Bof%2Bthe%2BGalaxy%2BVol.%2B2%2BEcho%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BDon%2BMark%2BNoceda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="515" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yNUSf1XSEW4/W3w9xZ1IonI/AAAAAAAACIk/Edel4FtC7so9LIKCgiE1_jNO6n__mhGmwCLcBGAs/s320/Guardians%2Bof%2Bthe%2BGalaxy%2BVol.%2B2%2BEcho%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BDon%2BMark%2BNoceda.jpg" width="229" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9vuAYLQMlFs/W3wqQIf4TGI/AAAAAAAACFk/6khO6GBfBFwos-mL-SueEU0FV080CMuDQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Copy%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="513" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9vuAYLQMlFs/W3wqQIf4TGI/AAAAAAAACFk/6khO6GBfBFwos-mL-SueEU0FV080CMuDQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Copy%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
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The scans of this great sketch by Don Mark Noceda do not begin to do it justice. I thought the first one was so washed out & a smidge blurry due to it being scanned with a couple of them there super thicc Marvel Premier sketch cards, but when I tried again this morning, well... It is slightly more in focus, but it's somehow even more washed out than the first one! You can barely even see the splash of orange behind her head, but it is super vibrant & brings what is already a great card all the way together in real life.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6BHABcTZm4/W3wqIYce0fI/AAAAAAAACF4/mcmTGmWyjzYCYkq4CNY2jsHTegSG1hqdQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2017%2BUpper%2BDeck%2BSpider-Man%2BHomecoming%2BElektra%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BMarlo%2BAgunos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="503" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6BHABcTZm4/W3wqIYce0fI/AAAAAAAACF4/mcmTGmWyjzYCYkq4CNY2jsHTegSG1hqdQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2017%2BUpper%2BDeck%2BSpider-Man%2BHomecoming%2BElektra%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BMarlo%2BAgunos.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spider-Man: Homecoming Elekra by Marlo Agunos..</td></tr>
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This Elektra is also by Marlo Agunos. This wasn't love at first sight like her Echo sketch above, but it has grown on me quite a bit since I got it in my hands. A most welcome addition to her page.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x_Y8VAUG-Qo/W3wqjd9BNLI/AAAAAAAACF8/2X26gFC2_KQ1lMgX1Te7-irIPRaUlB9wQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Upper%2BDeck%2BAgent%2BCarter%2BShe-Hulk%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BGilbert%2BMonsanto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="504" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x_Y8VAUG-Qo/W3wqjd9BNLI/AAAAAAAACF8/2X26gFC2_KQ1lMgX1Te7-irIPRaUlB9wQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Upper%2BDeck%2BAgent%2BCarter%2BShe-Hulk%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BGilbert%2BMonsanto.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agent Carter She-Hulk by Gilbert Monsanto..</td></tr>
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I had no idea about the Agent Carter set even existed until I picked up these two She-Hulks (I think this one is She-Hulk? Not too many green chicks running around the Marvel U, but it could possibly just an odd shading choice for a regularly-hued character...) from the set. Honestly, I'm still not even sure what it's about. COMC just has autos and sketch cards, so perhaps it was just a higher end and/or super limited release. I dunno.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bMEw2y1rNts/W3wqjTdMHGI/AAAAAAAACGA/RwqQCoCebSkArtBfVoWINQRiO720T6S-wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Upper%2BDeck%2BAgent%2BCarter%2BShe-Hulk%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BMonte%2BMoore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="517" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bMEw2y1rNts/W3wqjTdMHGI/AAAAAAAACGA/RwqQCoCebSkArtBfVoWINQRiO720T6S-wCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Upper%2BDeck%2BAgent%2BCarter%2BShe-Hulk%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BMonte%2BMoore.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agent Carter She-Hulk by Monte Moore..</td></tr>
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This sketch card is done in black & white, but that's definitely She-Hulk. I had already surpassed a full page before I got this trio, so I'm up to 13 or 14 now. Aside from Raven, Rogue is the only other character collection I've broken the full page plateau on. With one possible exception, that being Raven's Titans teammate/popular ship pairing Starfire, who I have nine of, I have no intention or expectation of going over on any of the others. I'm not really even all that close with any other characters I have pages for anyway.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N_rj8KNkGfI/W3wqHYsZB1I/AAAAAAAACFU/LT3f6K9-fSYCpoYrEqAkSsr_8nrgIbRgwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2017%2BUD%2BMarvel%2BPremier%2BGray%2BShe-Hulk%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BMichel%2BMulipola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="514" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N_rj8KNkGfI/W3wqHYsZB1I/AAAAAAAACFU/LT3f6K9-fSYCpoYrEqAkSsr_8nrgIbRgwCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2017%2BUD%2BMarvel%2BPremier%2BGray%2BShe-Hulk%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BMichel%2BMulipola.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Premier Gray She-Hulk by Michel Mulipola..</td></tr>
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Finally, I'm not sure what's up with comic book writers constantly feeling the need to make She-Hulk an overly serious character. I mean, they aren't usually bad portrayals, but it just sort of feels like it misses the point of the character in a pretty major way. I must admit I am deeply in love with the look of the gamma-scarred, hyper-muscular, PTSD-induced gray version though. I was surprised to find such a recent character design in a set, but I'm delighted to have it.</div>
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That's all for now. Stay tuned for the Summer of Sketch finale soon. Thank you, as always, for stopping by!</div>
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<i>Until our next...</i></div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-89745197305770343392018-09-07T15:24:00.000-07:002018-09-07T15:24:13.120-07:00My Unofficial Goodwin Champions Collection Vol. 4: The Hottest Hits of 2017Back to the series posts! Here's part four of my Goodwin Champions collection! We're getting into the home stretch of... oh, let's call it "season one" of this series (I will have the stuff for at least three more episodes on down the line). This post is all about my hits from last year's set. Here we go.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-neTacizwyOI/W3s-EwNJe9I/AAAAAAAACAg/3isEvoVMK5AVmAtac-AL6tGPiZ_EInMuwCLcBGAs/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BEugenie%2BBouchard%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-neTacizwyOI/W3s-EwNJe9I/AAAAAAAACAg/3isEvoVMK5AVmAtac-AL6tGPiZ_EInMuwCLcBGAs/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BEugenie%2BBouchard%2BAutograph.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scooped! Suck it, Topps!</td></tr>
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This is the second most expensive card in Goodwin Champions collection, weighing in at a cool $9.49. That is the cheapest I've seen Bouchard sell for, so I admittedly got very lucky with her (heh). It's nice that I won't have to fret over never being able to afford her Allen & Ginter auto from this year's set.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zD3en4G7P_8/W3waZctN0DI/AAAAAAAACA0/oyHWWuD4r9ISNuvIC2vAHMKr6nQbkkM_ACLcBGAs/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BQuincy%2BDavis%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="515" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zD3en4G7P_8/W3waZctN0DI/AAAAAAAACA0/oyHWWuD4r9ISNuvIC2vAHMKr6nQbkkM_ACLcBGAs/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BQuincy%2BDavis%2BAutograph.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quincy returns..</td></tr>
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The photo selection seems to have gotten better over the years, but sometimes the backgrounds are super distracting. They sorta remind me of driving scenes in old movies & cop shows with obvious fake footage scrolling in the background.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z7UinUFSToU/W3wbDNJ_saI/AAAAAAAACBQ/UGdiW1qD02AgARoQVKJWHdqtPlxgwPA3ACLcBGAs/s1600/Goodwin%2BXue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1405" data-original-width="534" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z7UinUFSToU/W3wbDNJ_saI/AAAAAAAACBQ/UGdiW1qD02AgARoQVKJWHdqtPlxgwPA3ACLcBGAs/s640/Goodwin%2BXue.jpg" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xue Chen x2..</td></tr>
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I got two of these when they at were way below what they typically are on the site. One was for me, and the other was for a certain volleyball collector I've been needing to send stuff since the Obama administration, which was, if my calculations are correct, 139 years ago. But anyway, it turned out they were likely so cheap because they both had dinged corners. They're still plenty presentable, but that was a bummer. There was no condition notification on them (I've mentioned on multiple occasions elsewhere about how wildly inconsistent they are about that on COMC).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QrKp8jE018A/W3wajCzswkI/AAAAAAAACBE/PgzJ4GP-ctwcDSubHNcdK8NJ1Op1hSGbwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BJody%2BPerewitz%2BDual%2BRelic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QrKp8jE018A/W3wajCzswkI/AAAAAAAACBE/PgzJ4GP-ctwcDSubHNcdK8NJ1Op1hSGbwCEwYBhgL/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BJody%2BPerewitz%2BDual%2BRelic.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seeing double..</td></tr>
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I mentioned in the previous Goodwin Champions post that pink swatches don't happen enough, and the same goes for purple. They are less important to me, but more solid orange and green swatches would be cool too. And for as many teams that wear it, I don't feel like I see enough solid blue swatches either. It's always pinstripes. Ugh...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tqQpCnjM7G4/W3wajEXUDCI/AAAAAAAACBI/t1scUmQLmO8OTHHn88tpdIv_0dYrXiueQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BJody%2BPerewitz%2BInscription%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="518" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tqQpCnjM7G4/W3wajEXUDCI/AAAAAAAACBI/t1scUmQLmO8OTHHn88tpdIv_0dYrXiueQCEwYBhgL/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BJody%2BPerewitz%2BInscription%2BAutograph.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still seeing double..</td></tr>
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Here is the other hilariously high-numbered, hand-numbered inscription auto. I am happy to have it. This is another one with a very distracting background.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZnU3bgMBp5g/W3sKKx0zw9I/AAAAAAAACAM/I0wZtUDtsEE3umKJReS5lP14Ps2zf4AegCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BCarla%2BEsparza%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZnU3bgMBp5g/W3sKKx0zw9I/AAAAAAAACAM/I0wZtUDtsEE3umKJReS5lP14Ps2zf4AegCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BCarla%2BEsparza%2BAutograph.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cookie Monster..</td></tr>
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It's all MMA for the rest of this post. For the nice little collection of MMA ladies I've built up, you'd think I'd have watched more fights, but alas, you'd be very wrong.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C3_ymDOYtJ0/W3sKLWYqFaI/AAAAAAAACAQ/_s8aN29EmusSYQtPslc3oXcfOnR8TBnrwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BChrissy%2BBlair%2BDual%2BRelic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="514" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C3_ymDOYtJ0/W3sKLWYqFaI/AAAAAAAACAQ/_s8aN29EmusSYQtPslc3oXcfOnR8TBnrwCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BChrissy%2BBlair%2BDual%2BRelic.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seeing double again..</td></tr>
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Honestly, I've barely even watched any of the major team sports the past couple years. I haven't had a TV in years, I can't afford to pony up for a season pass to anything, and I've never found any sustainably reliable illegal streams, so I've mostly gone without. I feel occasionally feel a mighty need to get back into to it, but honestly, I don't often find myself missing it all that much. It's just... the best background noise you can get most of the time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C5tkKSutS3E/W3sKLHLwPiI/AAAAAAAACAI/DyufhLDZn5M_xPvK_Xn8Ka_BTSrEKdQTQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BChrissy%2BBlair%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C5tkKSutS3E/W3sKLHLwPiI/AAAAAAAACAI/DyufhLDZn5M_xPvK_Xn8Ka_BTSrEKdQTQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BChrissy%2BBlair%2BAutograph.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay I'm done..</td></tr>
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It says model on Chrissy Blair's cards, which is true. But if you know her name at all, you'd likely know it due because she's an Octagon Girl with UFC.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EHXAArByw68/W3r9urXgDHI/AAAAAAAAB9A/WSLb_9qGD-gByxff8bsccht4qYUh-OWPgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2017%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BFelice%2BHerrig%2BPremium%2BMemorabilia%2BRelic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="522" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EHXAArByw68/W3r9urXgDHI/AAAAAAAAB9A/WSLb_9qGD-gByxff8bsccht4qYUh-OWPgCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2017%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BFelice%2BHerrig%2BPremium%2BMemorabilia%2BRelic.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sick-ish patch, bro..</td></tr>
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I'm not exactly sure what this "Premium Series" relic is from, but despite the card itself being super thicc, the swatch itself just feels like a regular swatch of average thickness. It's probably just a piece of shirt that happened to have lettering on it. Still a nice addition though.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hWmGVd3YAtc/W3weYFQY2CI/AAAAAAAACBs/F7Ehf4y7r2IAGq90ejJ-SkS9B3Z3n2_EQCLcBGAs/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BFelice%2BHerrig%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="523" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hWmGVd3YAtc/W3weYFQY2CI/AAAAAAAACBs/F7Ehf4y7r2IAGq90ejJ-SkS9B3Z3n2_EQCLcBGAs/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BFelice%2BHerrig%2BAutograph.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Base auto..</td></tr>
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Winding it down with this sweet trio of my girl Felice. The background on these are quite distracting too, but also kinda... relaxing? Odd...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jkj5CBVLqj4/W3weYLqaChI/AAAAAAAACBo/yONXlmSmtLUemQq2Z9Utd6CE2HR3lsLcQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BFelice%2BHerrig%2BInscription%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="513" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jkj5CBVLqj4/W3weYLqaChI/AAAAAAAACBo/yONXlmSmtLUemQq2Z9Utd6CE2HR3lsLcQCEwYBhgL/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BFelice%2BHerrig%2BInscription%2BAutograph.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the inscription..</td></tr>
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Seriously, I have picked up so many Felice Herrig's from this set, you guys! This ain't even all of them. Check back in October if I haven't flaked out by then, because there's still one more of note in my collection worth posting about.<br />
<br />
That's all for now. Just one more post left in this series (though there could be more later)!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Until our next...<span id="goog_1777093520"></span><span id="goog_1777093521"></span></i></div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-45178739347753525252018-09-04T03:16:00.001-07:002018-09-04T03:19:23.265-07:00Obara, Oh Obara<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Time to take a quick breather from the Summer of Sketch & Goodwin Champions series for a post, though we're still fully entrenched in non-sport goodness.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B_gcJ52V__c/W3r4rESNcGI/AAAAAAAAB7Q/HdbNZhBUHeMPTtFZicMBw44unKeYMb2GACEwYBhgL/s1600/003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="704" height="288" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B_gcJ52V__c/W3r4rESNcGI/AAAAAAAAB7Q/HdbNZhBUHeMPTtFZicMBw44unKeYMb2GACEwYBhgL/s400/003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">😍😍😍😍😍</td></tr>
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I have never watched or read anything Game of Thrones, but I do have a longstanding crush on Keisha Castle-Hughes, so I picked up this auto on eBay, and a few more cards on COMC.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--OtLODsrXfM/W3r4rOSBCkI/AAAAAAAAB7E/eP6ajb3gTacTZCUK-A3YSUnIPVuywGYxgCEwYBhgL/s1600/004%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="711" height="287" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--OtLODsrXfM/W3r4rOSBCkI/AAAAAAAAB7E/eP6ajb3gTacTZCUK-A3YSUnIPVuywGYxgCEwYBhgL/s400/004%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Autoback..</td></tr>
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Because like Jon Snow, I know nothing, I'll be posting all the backs, since they have useful blurbs about who the character is and what she gets up to, which seems to be a pretty fair amount. So at least skip over the backs if you are the type who's buttocks are chafed at spoilers by three by spoilers for things you really already should've seen by now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DIk7LVGrwyI/W3r4wNv-6_I/AAAAAAAAB7U/iPzgUaxdyekeW-o970EOj1DkG8g42Z70wCEwYBhgL/s1600/001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="1007" height="452" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DIk7LVGrwyI/W3r4wNv-6_I/AAAAAAAAB7U/iPzgUaxdyekeW-o970EOj1DkG8g42Z70wCEwYBhgL/s640/001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foil parallels..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here are a pair of foil parallels that didn't scan especially well. Given the crusty brown borders, they're surprisingly vibrant & nice looking in real life, but they just kind of weird & gross here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fttVWSvZMVk/W3r4zB_p65I/AAAAAAAAB7Q/1pdCeB2pJZ0cR-HcqOk_y9E0_f4ZCLyTQCEwYBhgL/s1600/002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="1007" height="452" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fttVWSvZMVk/W3r4zB_p65I/AAAAAAAAB7Q/1pdCeB2pJZ0cR-HcqOk_y9E0_f4ZCLyTQCEwYBhgL/s640/002.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some useful informations..</td></tr>
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Scans not doing cards justice is a recurring theme across the blogosphere, and this post is just loaded with it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uDvVO-dcg4Y/W3r4vZsEQdI/AAAAAAAAB7E/evlrokQfgS8_56Js1PKCiy40EmEHihWwgCEwYBhgL/s1600/001%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="702" height="292" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uDvVO-dcg4Y/W3r4vZsEQdI/AAAAAAAAB7E/evlrokQfgS8_56Js1PKCiy40EmEHihWwgCEwYBhgL/s400/001%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Man, Anakin would hate this post. There's Sand everywhere..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Even this insert, which seems like it scanned okay, is not immune. There are all sorts designes carved into the white border that don't show up at all.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b4EbDc5-lw0/W3r4zPLufNI/AAAAAAAAB7M/qN_lR_CMqxoTvHKqdaZJA-5bSWNP90KSgCEwYBhgL/s1600/002%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="702" height="293" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b4EbDc5-lw0/W3r4zPLufNI/AAAAAAAAB7M/qN_lR_CMqxoTvHKqdaZJA-5bSWNP90KSgCEwYBhgL/s400/002%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ouch..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
More spoilers. Apparently lots of people die violent, gruesome deaths on this show. So it's pretty much wholesome, lighthearted fun for the whole family. 😆</div>
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<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CifTAbPhszY/W3r4vRePafI/AAAAAAAAB7I/fFsNBXJToVwbZRuJ14bgxQiF6q56gb3bQCEwYBhgL/s1600/001%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="708" height="286" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CifTAbPhszY/W3r4vRePafI/AAAAAAAAB7I/fFsNBXJToVwbZRuJ14bgxQiF6q56gb3bQCEwYBhgL/s400/001%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Valyrian Steel gold parallel /100..</span><br />
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</td></tr>
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The gold versions are noticeably darker & a little blurrier than the base versions, but they aren't nearly as bad as my scanner would have you believe. This almost makes it look like a hologram or shadowbox or something, but it absolutely isn't.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FPnxZNtgq_A/W3r4v4d7QbI/AAAAAAAAB7U/6ai4jrAaCo8kQmyOjMb8ISpRHbe_Q5GugCEwYBhgL/s1600/002%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FPnxZNtgq_A/W3r4v4d7QbI/AAAAAAAAB7U/6ai4jrAaCo8kQmyOjMb8ISpRHbe_Q5GugCEwYBhgL/s400/002%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obara got back..</td></tr>
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The back didn't fair much better, but you can kinda read it and see that it's #'ed 9/100. Yeah, being able to read the status symbol part, that's the important thing. 🙄<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gLTGa6K8DB4/W3r4vR4AnWI/AAAAAAAAB7A/6HDK0GqCAeIYDm89ckHlE4a15bYQ5dokACEwYBhgL/s1600/001%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="707" height="290" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gLTGa6K8DB4/W3r4vR4AnWI/AAAAAAAAB7A/6HDK0GqCAeIYDm89ckHlE4a15bYQ5dokACEwYBhgL/s400/001%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Valyrian Steel base..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Fortunately, I also have the base version, and for all the trouble my scanner had with these cards, this one might have actually managed to somehow come out looking better than it does in real life. You just never know.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eUgDIeZF2bI/W3r4y4HofWI/AAAAAAAAB7U/4M8HSPOa8BgL9r3y5UsiEIKMjYEEdB4WQCEwYBhgL/s1600/002%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eUgDIeZF2bI/W3r4y4HofWI/AAAAAAAAB7U/4M8HSPOa8BgL9r3y5UsiEIKMjYEEdB4WQCEwYBhgL/s400/002%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many bastards, so little time...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
GoT: Almost single-handedly making up for the lack of bastard daughters in all other forms of entertainment.<br />
<br />
And on that note, it's time to call it a post. Thanks for stopping by.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Until our next...</i></div>
</div>
</div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-16549244386147146452018-09-02T05:16:00.001-07:002018-09-02T05:16:20.458-07:00Summer of Sketch Vol. 3: Manly MansWe've reached the midpoint of the Summer of Sketch series! As you've likely noticed, I'm mostly not in it for the dudes when it comes to sketch cards & non-sport/other sport stuff in general. But I do have a place for my favorite male characters in my sketch card binder. I singled out two pages apiece worth of male characters for both Marvel & DC to target a lone sketch card of, and here's the trio of new additions I was able to make to those pages.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HGLgTKJu7wk/W3wqUDEXk2I/AAAAAAAACF0/sA5mfHyNDWsyOlM_i-6r2oqirP_JxPGSgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Cryptozoic%2BDC%2BBombshells%2BSuperman%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BMatthew%2BSutton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="504" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HGLgTKJu7wk/W3wqUDEXk2I/AAAAAAAACF0/sA5mfHyNDWsyOlM_i-6r2oqirP_JxPGSgCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Cryptozoic%2BDC%2BBombshells%2BSuperman%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BMatthew%2BSutton.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bombshells Superman Silhouette by Matthew Sutton..</td></tr>
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First up, the only DC sketch card in the entire shipment. They've had a steady card producer in Cryptozoic for the past several years now, but DC is still way, way behind when it comes to cardboard. They don't have near as many sets to pick from, and the sets they do have are dramatically less elaborate Rittenhouse & especially Upper Deck's Marvel offerings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WqiKmylGAMg/W3wqZaq_ijI/AAAAAAAACGE/5-sJ8ugmDmcpLGJl9PZLNpiw1m0-Py9CgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Daredevil%2BSeasons%2B1%2B%2526%2B2%2BSleepwalker%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BAnthony%2BHelmer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WqiKmylGAMg/W3wqZaq_ijI/AAAAAAAACGE/5-sJ8ugmDmcpLGJl9PZLNpiw1m0-Py9CgCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Daredevil%2BSeasons%2B1%2B%2526%2B2%2BSleepwalker%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BAnthony%2BHelmer.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daredevil Seasons 1 & 2 Sleepwalker by Anthony Helmer..</td></tr>
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I was stoked to find a licensed sketch of a character as ridiculously unique & obscure as Sleepwalker. He had 33 issue solo series in the early-'90s and has only rarely been heard from since, usually in major crisis crossovers, likely owing to the uniqueness of much of his dream police powerset.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LbbPzrkOS-Y/W3wqGmTIdoI/AAAAAAAACFY/DIJL-qkezdkiIsUF0XfjfLmJm6SprmoaQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2017%2BUD%2BMarvel%2BPremier%2BColossus%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BUko%2BSmith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LbbPzrkOS-Y/W3wqGmTIdoI/AAAAAAAACFY/DIJL-qkezdkiIsUF0XfjfLmJm6SprmoaQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2017%2BUD%2BMarvel%2BPremier%2BColossus%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BUko%2BSmith.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Premier Colossus by Uko Smith..</td></tr>
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Uko Smith is has long been a favorite artist of mine, but I'd never managed to land anything by him until now. I hope to stumble onto an Uko for my She-Hulk or Rogue collections that I can afford at some point, but this will more than do for now. Premier is a super-duper high end release and the sketch cards are on crazy thicc stock. They only just barely fit in binder pages, and not very comfortably. But beggars can't be choosers, I guess, and I'm just happy to have it.<br />
<br />
And that's it! You've made it through another post. Go you. As always, thanks for stopping by!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>I'm gonna hunts me some mans!</i></div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-19479506052420169312018-08-29T20:03:00.001-07:002018-08-29T20:03:06.312-07:00My Unofficial Goodwin Champions Collection Vol. 3: The Hottest Hits of 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Time for the third installment in Goodwin Champions collection breakdown. We're getting back to the hits in this one. As the title implies, today is about my hits from the 2016 set. There's a lot to get through, so let's jump right in!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gqAY6c5r9go/W3sKKwjvhJI/AAAAAAAACAQ/SwgDJf23ULQwXJrd4OqSYD7WuYQM5rN2wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BBret%2BHart%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="514" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gqAY6c5r9go/W3sKKwjvhJI/AAAAAAAACAQ/SwgDJf23ULQwXJrd4OqSYD7WuYQM5rN2wCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BBret%2BHart%2BAutograph.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hitman!</td></tr>
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This is arguably my best hit from Goodwin Champions period. Crazy to be able to get an on-card auto of one of the five greatest wrestlers of all-time for $9.99 (insert WWE Network joke here). This is the most expensive Goodwin Champions card I've bought to this point, so I managed to amass the huge mess of stuff in this series without ever paying double digits for any of it. I didn't even realize that, but it's a pretty cool stat. Oddly, this is one that could have qualified as one of those high-numbered inscription autos, but for some reason it didn't get the hand-numbered treatment.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f_WTOHc30HQ/W3r9OFvsN5I/AAAAAAAAB8U/XH-rdt9eOJAnHtxUu6MY9B343Jpr30TUQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BKhatuna%2BLorig%2BInscription%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f_WTOHc30HQ/W3r9OFvsN5I/AAAAAAAAB8U/XH-rdt9eOJAnHtxUu6MY9B343Jpr30TUQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BKhatuna%2BLorig%2BInscription%2BAutograph.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inscriptions!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This one did though. I mentioned I had a couple of the other super high numbered inscription, and this is one of them. I love the arrow in her signature. That's a great little personal touch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NRFAPRlKwIc/W3sJ_75ODCI/AAAAAAAACAQ/btf1x4tM9LIC2hJHtpzf6mFqHruUf382gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2016%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BMelissa%2BBaker%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NRFAPRlKwIc/W3sJ_75ODCI/AAAAAAAACAQ/btf1x4tM9LIC2hJHtpzf6mFqHruUf382gCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2016%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BMelissa%2BBaker%2BAutograph.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not enough licensed SI swimsuit issue model autos out there..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Melissa Baker makes her return from the previous episode, this time in autographed form...<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NA-kRTnBO14/W3wgOSssTJI/AAAAAAAACB8/GpbiERcb4Fg9RE8fJarhmTMFuj_yZzsuQCLcBGAs/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BKaylyn%2BKyle%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NA-kRTnBO14/W3wgOSssTJI/AAAAAAAACB8/GpbiERcb4Fg9RE8fJarhmTMFuj_yZzsuQCLcBGAs/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BKaylyn%2BKyle%2BAutograph.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>
<br />
...as does Kaylyn Kyle. There will be a lot of repeats from the red & blue post. The six in her signature being at the same odd angle as the one on her shorts is amusing the heck out of me for some reason.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W2I0tAQlb3U/W3wbC1iicnI/AAAAAAAACBY/w87vJRYJsnoMM4LbRPTL5vw9xR_GHI_IwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BSasha%2BDiGiulian%2BRelic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W2I0tAQlb3U/W3wbC1iicnI/AAAAAAAACBY/w87vJRYJsnoMM4LbRPTL5vw9xR_GHI_IwCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BSasha%2BDiGiulian%2BRelic.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the cooler cards you'll see in the whole series..</td></tr>
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It's not all autographs, I have a couple relics too! There aren't enough pink swatches in this world. Also, what a kickass photo choice!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--bJaDoY9CFE/W3r9LfnjYXI/AAAAAAAAB8I/2ES8AfPpZWYccM5FFFW_PJklzXKo64QygCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BHaley%2BAnderson%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--bJaDoY9CFE/W3r9LfnjYXI/AAAAAAAAB8I/2ES8AfPpZWYccM5FFFW_PJklzXKo64QygCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BHaley%2BAnderson%2BAutograph.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
This may look like an ordinary plain white swatch, but I assure you, it's so much better. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but it has a rubbery feel to it. That was a super exciting revelation back when I was organizing the shipment it came in for scanning. I'd consider doing a whole page of this relic (and the DiGiulian in all its forms cuz the photo) if I can find 'em cheap enough.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nxFAxE8OjKE/W3whWwzr5JI/AAAAAAAACCQ/0ePFQdYaCeA9sKMKBD4rYAnE5YGfYGrDwCLcBGAs/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BHaley%2BAnderson%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nxFAxE8OjKE/W3whWwzr5JI/AAAAAAAACCQ/0ePFQdYaCeA9sKMKBD4rYAnE5YGfYGrDwCLcBGAs/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BHaley%2BAnderson%2BAutograph.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haley Anderson auto..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fuuakqf4Myw/W3r9Lc2-MwI/AAAAAAAAB8U/ZIrGlF_0QHctCcbG9KyDRrfyXGNn8HqVACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BHaley%2BAnderson%2BRelic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fuuakqf4Myw/W3r9Lc2-MwI/AAAAAAAAB8U/ZIrGlF_0QHctCcbG9KyDRrfyXGNn8HqVACPcBGAYYCw/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BHaley%2BAnderson%2BRelic.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">x2!</td></tr>
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Back to the autos. I have two of Haley, because I can I guess. I suppose one could be available for trade if anybody has a mighty need.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2NDS76B6RlY/W3wiSTIUITI/AAAAAAAACCk/79I86ot7OWAqYYxrN5lN2H_JeDupSWYigCEwYBhgL/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BPaige%2BSelenski%2BInscription%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2NDS76B6RlY/W3wiSTIUITI/AAAAAAAACCk/79I86ot7OWAqYYxrN5lN2H_JeDupSWYigCEwYBhgL/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BPaige%2BSelenski%2BInscription%2BAutograph.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Inscriptions!</td></tr>
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I have two of Paige Selenski too, but I need them both, because the latter is another inscription! This one is more representative of the typical rarity for inscriptions in this product.<br />
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And that does it. I have a few more from 2016, but they'll be showing up in a later installment. You'll understand why then. Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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<i>Until our next...</i></div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-73021492389356272562018-08-25T20:53:00.000-07:002018-08-25T20:53:32.569-07:00Summer of Sketch Vol. 2: Legends of Lucasfilm LoreToday's edition of the Summer of Sketch is an impromptu celebration of George Lucas and the folks at Disney carrying his legacy forward & putting up with the asshole unpleasable fanbase he cultivated, while he gets to enjoy his retirement by rolling around naked in the numerous piles of money and cocaine he got for selling out. Enjoy that mental image!<br />
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Four of today's five-spot of cardboard curiosities hail from a galaxy far, far away, and the fifth belongs in a museum (of bad art).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VJEA5dnB9VA/W3wqf0bHYdI/AAAAAAAACFg/15HVHGvug3UGtIJrp1mw6pE84TNK_1KIACLcBGAs/s1600/Star%2BWars%2BMasterwork%2BHera%2BSyndulla%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BAdam%2BWorton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="513" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VJEA5dnB9VA/W3wqf0bHYdI/AAAAAAAACFg/15HVHGvug3UGtIJrp1mw6pE84TNK_1KIACLcBGAs/s400/Star%2BWars%2BMasterwork%2BHera%2BSyndulla%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BAdam%2BWorton.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My beloved Hera... 😍</td></tr>
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Rebels came after Lucas sold out, but it's probably my favorite tale from the entire history of the franchise, and Hera is probably my favorite character. I couldn't pass this up, though even being marked down a decent amount, it was still a lot more than I would normally pay for anyone not named Raven.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZKXBEwd3b1A/W3wqLSh7-GI/AAAAAAAACGE/9U55jU9JBkoyAUtGPhvS2laJhY7XY7pXgCEwYBhgL/s1600/005%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZKXBEwd3b1A/W3wqLSh7-GI/AAAAAAAACGE/9U55jU9JBkoyAUtGPhvS2laJhY7XY7pXgCEwYBhgL/s400/005%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George "Mac" McHale by Zack Giallongo..</td></tr>
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I was probably being a too harsh with that museum of bad art line for this. It's very simple & couldn't possibly have taken more than a few minutes to do, but the Indiana Jones sets (and the rest of Topps non-sport lineup from around that time) were infamously overloaded with much, <i>much</i> worse than this. And seriously, I only paid $2.25 for it, so I can't complain.<br />
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Mac (as portrayed by the great Ray Winstone) is also arguably the best character in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, so that's cool. I may catch hell for this, but I watched this movie almost exactly a year ago, and I genuinely enjoyed it. Having seen all four Indy movies, it probably ranks as my second favorite after Temple of Doom.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fz4pWk7V5Fw/W3wqf1N0yzI/AAAAAAAACGE/p1EyqK1Nsf0msJfJdWyOgSnXRwtm9AsaQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Star%2BWars%2BHigh%2BTek%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BBruce%2BGerlach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="498" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fz4pWk7V5Fw/W3wqf1N0yzI/AAAAAAAACGE/p1EyqK1Nsf0msJfJdWyOgSnXRwtm9AsaQCEwYBhgL/s400/Star%2BWars%2BHigh%2BTek%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BBruce%2BGerlach.jpg" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't know who this is..</td></tr>
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Yeah, no idea. I thought it could be Hera. Rebels was on the air by this point and I've seen sketches of other characters from the show in this set. But no goggles, so I dunno. I've never been all that into Star Wars, if we're still being honest. I think the quartet in this post came pretty close to doubling the size of my Star Wars sketch card collection. Couple cheap Ahsokas, the Phasma I hit in a blaster, Luminara, and a forgettable Padme from forever ago was about all I had before, so yeah.<br />
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But anyway, whatever. This was pretty cheap, it's the only High Tek sketch I own, and it's easily my favorite card I've ever come across by Bruce Gerlach. I'm just not typically a fan of his style.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vxm7oSbcb4Y/W3wqKkqYCRI/AAAAAAAACGE/IsrR4DkIB3M8u4vaGN3-j3WQnScttiwqQCEwYBhgL/s1600/005%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vxm7oSbcb4Y/W3wqKkqYCRI/AAAAAAAACGE/IsrR4DkIB3M8u4vaGN3-j3WQnScttiwqQCEwYBhgL/s400/005%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Battle Droid by Jessica Hickman..</td></tr>
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Here's another kind of whatever sketch card. I only care very much about a select few Star Wars characters (pretty much just the crew of the Ghost, Ahsoka, Rey, Finn, and Rose), so a random battle droid doesn't do much for me. But this was under $5, is very nicely detailed as Star Wars pencil sketches go, and Jessica Hickman is an artist I like & I feel fortunate to already have a couple other sketch cards by her. Anyway, this & Mac might be available for trade if you have something I might like better.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vnF3XQLqsOo/W3wqFtUjV-I/AAAAAAAACF4/pKM3P2nE9eAIr8MfrnBCgJ7nJ3zMoS_oACEwYBhgL/s1600/2015%2BTopps%2BStar%2BWars%2BChrome%2BPerspectives%2BObi-Wan%2BKenobi%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BCarla%2BRodrigues.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="503" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vnF3XQLqsOo/W3wqFtUjV-I/AAAAAAAACF4/pKM3P2nE9eAIr8MfrnBCgJ7nJ3zMoS_oACEwYBhgL/s400/2015%2BTopps%2BStar%2BWars%2BChrome%2BPerspectives%2BObi-Wan%2BKenobi%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BCarla%2BRodrigues.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoinks! Yung Obi-Wan by Carla Rodrigues..</td></tr>
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Finally, I also lucked into this phenomenal sketch for under $5 as well! I love the somewhat cartoony art style. It sort of reminds me of the classic Scooby-Doo art style a little bit, and that is a wonderful thing. I wasn't sure until I got into my saucy little mitts, but this one is definitely staying in my collection. It is fantastic.<br />
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And that wraps up the second volume in my Summer of Sketch series. Hope you enjoyed it, and thank you for stopping by!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Until our next...</i></div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-74987198540607608192018-08-23T13:30:00.000-07:002018-08-23T13:30:07.080-07:00My Unofficial Goodwin Champions Collection Vol. 2: Red vs. Blue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2016 Royal Red Aly Raisman & Stefanie Johnson..</td></tr>
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The second part of my unofficial Goodwin Champions PC series is all about the parallels. There isn't much extra going on with the base set, but 2016 & 2017 featured photo variations, shortprinted black & white high numbers, and the red and blue parallels I'm here to give you the good word on today. So strap in because, the formatting is about to get hella wonky! 😆<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PKb6dH7MB-w/W3r9se44G3I/AAAAAAAAB88/qZbvgZzH6_s3Z44tZR6nmUmQ2ftHV0DlgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2017%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BRoyal%2BBlue%2BParallels%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1594" data-original-width="710" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PKb6dH7MB-w/W3r9se44G3I/AAAAAAAAB88/qZbvgZzH6_s3Z44tZR6nmUmQ2ftHV0DlgCPcBGAYYCw/s640/2017%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BRoyal%2BBlue%2BParallels%2B1.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Royal Blue Xue Chen, Carla Esparza, & Wu Minxia..</td></tr>
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Told ya! There wasn't much rhyme or reason to the direction of how I scanned things, and there won't be much rhyme or reason to where they go in this post.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cPVjqYMKbTo/W3sD0ixWUpI/AAAAAAAAB-U/Ug4gWwpL1kk299QzDxYhrXhnj-h0QTpHQCLcBGAs/s1600/Goodwin%2B%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="711" height="286" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cPVjqYMKbTo/W3sD0ixWUpI/AAAAAAAAB-U/Ug4gWwpL1kk299QzDxYhrXhnj-h0QTpHQCLcBGAs/s400/Goodwin%2B%25284%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paige Selenski horizontal...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z4efX2RDkbg/W3sD0lpuW-I/AAAAAAAAB-Q/L13dM3pzw6cxV5pcpnxvA4KuMGrO-q8aACEwYBhgL/s1600/Goodwin%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z4efX2RDkbg/W3sD0lpuW-I/AAAAAAAAB-Q/L13dM3pzw6cxV5pcpnxvA4KuMGrO-q8aACEwYBhgL/s400/Goodwin%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and vertical!</td></tr>
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Because of my editorial laziness, I don't even have enough blues to switch the colors on & off. Oh well...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NCa-mT2ddkY/W3r9sWqU5tI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/wTTKSr1gFggjqSR_JSXiR-ax71X2UnnHACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2017%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BRoyal%2BBlue%2BParallels%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="1592" height="290" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NCa-mT2ddkY/W3r9sWqU5tI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/wTTKSr1gFggjqSR_JSXiR-ax71X2UnnHACPcBGAYYCw/s640/2017%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BRoyal%2BBlue%2BParallels%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Royal Blue Quincy Davis B&W & color, and Eugenie Bouchard..</td></tr>
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I do like the blues a lot more than the reds though. The reds are actually kind of painful to look at, while the blues are much more welcoming, despite still being a fairly bright shade. Also, Eugenie is in Allen & Ginter this year, after being in Goodwin Champions in 2017. Topps got scooped!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UB84hGSQ-Tk/W3sFITIMNsI/AAAAAAAAB-w/UhhtE76t_8khpsNkJzTjNTufNNOCihPVQCLcBGAs/s1600/Goodwin%2B%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="1404" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UB84hGSQ-Tk/W3sFITIMNsI/AAAAAAAAB-w/UhhtE76t_8khpsNkJzTjNTufNNOCihPVQCLcBGAs/s640/Goodwin%2B%25285%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Royal Red Kaylyn Kyle & Melissa Baker..</td></tr>
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But why are they all women, you seem to be asking. And to that I would answer, why not?<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rb74rKFU8Js/W3sCSOz0LdI/AAAAAAAAB-A/mGYlju87usgjx5W6g795mUPPThyrw9GLwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BRoyal%2BRed%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1399" data-original-width="519" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rb74rKFU8Js/W3sCSOz0LdI/AAAAAAAAB-A/mGYlju87usgjx5W6g795mUPPThyrw9GLwCEwYBhgL/s640/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BRoyal%2BRed%2B3.jpg" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Vertical Aly & Melissa..</td></tr>
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Most of these ladies are world class women of sport, but Melissa Baker is a model. Thus is the mystery and wonder of Goodwin Champions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5CqPX4bDxiI/W3sCSOQARuI/AAAAAAAAB-I/P8hjsWDkq0E2GxG_LebvJWIoPIEnRXErgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BRoyal%2BRed%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5CqPX4bDxiI/W3sCSOQARuI/AAAAAAAAB-I/P8hjsWDkq0E2GxG_LebvJWIoPIEnRXErgCEwYBhgL/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BRoyal%2BRed%2B1.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLB..</td></tr>
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You can find all manner of athletes, celebrities, historical figures, politicians, random animals... It's one of <i>those</i> sets, and I am grateful for its delightfully strange and borderline incoherent existence.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aE2h286vfu4/W3r9LTuumNI/AAAAAAAAB8M/qvLnpJyT2RwVdLdkcRY04VoI40n2XvW3gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BHaley%2BAnderson%2BRoyal%2BRed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aE2h286vfu4/W3r9LTuumNI/AAAAAAAAB8M/qvLnpJyT2RwVdLdkcRY04VoI40n2XvW3gCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BHaley%2BAnderson%2BRoyal%2BRed.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2016 Royal Red Haley Anderson..</td></tr>
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I hope to have a supplemental installment of a page worth of the aforementioned random animals to show you somewhere on down the line. Athletic beauties and exotic animals are pretty much all anyone need in life, tbh.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QzNnapw8ba0/W3sGzOffEKI/AAAAAAAAB_I/2HI0cvQpxD0y7RIh-L5wJ7Z56Mzk_En-gCLcBGAs/s1600/Goodwin%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QzNnapw8ba0/W3sGzOffEKI/AAAAAAAAB_I/2HI0cvQpxD0y7RIh-L5wJ7Z56Mzk_En-gCLcBGAs/s400/Goodwin%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2017 Royal Blue Felice Herrig..</td></tr>
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One last blue to close it out, and that does it for episode two of my Goodwin Champions collections series. Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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<i>Until our next...</i></div>
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Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-40558669425425691002018-08-21T08:32:00.002-07:002018-08-21T08:32:21.117-07:00Summer of Sketch Vol. 1: Baseball!As noted at the top of my latest post, my small-but-legendarily-mighty August shipment from COMC has arrived, and with it, 24 new sketch cards have officially entered my collection. So I'm gonna show them off over the course of a five part series that will switch on & off with my unofficial Goodwin Champions PC posts and maybe a couple other things. We'll start it off with a bang with my haul of 2009 Topps baseball sketch cards!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v29Lix3Tj00/W3wqEucggdI/AAAAAAAACFY/mYzmZlEzxfk3Bby7bpxaMTfS2zhTj9RNwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2009%2BTopps%2BKenji%2BJohjima%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BJay%2BPangan%2BIII.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="514" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v29Lix3Tj00/W3wqEucggdI/AAAAAAAACFY/mYzmZlEzxfk3Bby7bpxaMTfS2zhTj9RNwCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2009%2BTopps%2BKenji%2BJohjima%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BJay%2BPangan%2BIII.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kenji Johjima by Jay Pangan III..</td></tr>
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This amazing Kenji Johjima was the second cheapest card of the quartet, and my absolute favorite of the bunch. It's just a an amazing, highly detailed, full body pencil sketch by one of the very best in the business at drawing realistic, portraity sketch cards. I know there are some folks out there with particular fondness for collecting Japanese ballplayers and geared up catchers who will likely enjoy the heck out of this card. Looks like there's a play at the plate about to happen too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AzO-IQFbQq4/W3wqFCrJvAI/AAAAAAAACFY/O2ziqHtBDYE3b3AldP_ZsrjLYrygBPJ1ACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2009%2BTopps%2BNick%2BMarkakis%2BSketch%2BCard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="498" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AzO-IQFbQq4/W3wqFCrJvAI/AAAAAAAACFY/O2ziqHtBDYE3b3AldP_ZsrjLYrygBPJ1ACPcBGAYYCw/s400/2009%2BTopps%2BNick%2BMarkakis%2BSketch%2BCard.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick Markakis..</td></tr>
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Nick Markakis is still getting it done! While always a durable, reliable, and all-around competent player, he's pretty much never been a standout performer. After a couple of rough seasons where lingering issues from old injuries didn't keep him out of the lineup, but likely significantly hampered his production, dude's having a borderline career year at age 34. He finally made his first all-star team in his 13th season, with a batting average hovering around .320 or better all year, and is currently leading the NL in hits & doubles. With a healthy and generously slow decline as he enters the twilight of his career, he has a very real shot at 3000 hits, having just passed 2200.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UEKFj6UmAjE/W3wqDuDG4JI/AAAAAAAACFI/CP2toX6r48UbjQqQfMYHh_Q6A5OBxL1KACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2009%2BTopps%2BBrandon%2BWebb%2BSketch%2BCard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="502" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UEKFj6UmAjE/W3wqDuDG4JI/AAAAAAAACFI/CP2toX6r48UbjQqQfMYHh_Q6A5OBxL1KACPcBGAYYCw/s400/2009%2BTopps%2BBrandon%2BWebb%2BSketch%2BCard.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brandon Webb..</td></tr>
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I must admit, I'm terrible with artist's signatures and I've never been especially good at sniffing them out on my own, so I don't actually know who the rest of the artists are, even though 2/3 of them are at least legible. This Brandon Webb sketch is only one I can't begin to make out. The benefit of buying sketch cards on COMC is they tend to have the artist (and character or player) listed at a much higher rate than sellers on eBay, but no such luck with these.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-04q-N2c_myA/W3wqEdxl0iI/AAAAAAAACF0/pUvkCJk-dtcWQGY2yJcTb0huG1wjCIoBgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2009%2BTopps%2BChris%2BYoung%2BSketch%2BCard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="514" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-04q-N2c_myA/W3wqEdxl0iI/AAAAAAAACF0/pUvkCJk-dtcWQGY2yJcTb0huG1wjCIoBgCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2009%2BTopps%2BChris%2BYoung%2BSketch%2BCard.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris Young..</td></tr>
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The last one I had to figure out the player on myself too. I think I was somehow able to hunt down the image this was likely based on in order to confirm that it was Chris Young & not, as I initially thought, Justin Upton. If I was that good and/or lucky with figuring out the signatures, I'd really be in business! I really like that each of these cards manages to have their own unique artistic voice under the very limiting circumstances of this type of set.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UlEICRSZ-O4/W3wqEMjwyZI/AAAAAAAACF4/zqwmkg2igXEofHikXbSQ5BlEpRwriZd9wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2009%2BTopps%2BBaseball%2BSketch%2BCards-%2BBacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1434" data-original-width="1002" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UlEICRSZ-O4/W3wqEMjwyZI/AAAAAAAACF4/zqwmkg2igXEofHikXbSQ5BlEpRwriZd9wCPcBGAYYCw/s640/2009%2BTopps%2BBaseball%2BSketch%2BCards-%2BBacks.jpg" width="444" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backs..</td></tr>
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Here are what the backs of these cards look like, for those interested. No major superstars here, and there don't seem to a whole lot from this set in general. It seems like Topps was weirdly coy about doling out photo reference of the top guys. Everybody in this bunch had their moments though. Webb was a legitimate ace who won a Cy Young & made three all-star teams before pretty much vanishing without a trace at 30. Johjima was outstanding in his first couple seasons with the Mariners & managed to post positive WAR even after his offensive production fell off a cliff after that. Young never quite put it all together, but had a few nice seasons early in his career, earned an all-star nod, & became a reliable power bat & above average defender at all three outfield positions off the bench after that. And as noted above, Markakis could very well sneak into the Hall of Fame discussion before it's all said & done.<br />
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That's wraps up another post. Hope you all enjoyed it, because outside of a buyback post, there most likely isn't going to be much more major sports action around here for the foreseeable future. So if you're still planning to check out what I'm posting in the coming weeks, I am especially thankful for you stopping by.<br />
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<i>Until our next...</i></div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-91655200068643287112018-08-18T09:08:00.002-07:002018-08-20T10:51:50.357-07:00My Unofficial Goodwin Champions PC Vol. 1: Older Hits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eNStz6V2RsQ/W3r8-pDer3I/AAAAAAAAB7k/ghqUFChdWY05Z6wAFJA8jVMZbWGxuFCOwCLcBGAs/s1600/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BEvelyn%2BNg%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="514" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eNStz6V2RsQ/W3r8-pDer3I/AAAAAAAAB7k/ghqUFChdWY05Z6wAFJA8jVMZbWGxuFCOwCLcBGAs/s400/Goodwin%2BChampions%2BEvelyn%2BNg%2BAutograph.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2009 Goodwin Champions Evelyn Ng Autograph..</td></tr>
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After picking up things on COMC here & there over the years, it finally clicked with me sometime last year just how incredibly cheaply you can score a lot of great hits from Upper Deck's long-running Goodwin Champions brand. Not only that, many of the subjects are hard (and usually much more expensive), if not impossible, to find anywhere else.<br />
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I've accumulated enough from the brand for it to almost qualify as a collection unto itself, and I am going to treat it as such here. So strap in and enjoy. This is the first in an at least five part series documenting everything I have scanned from the Upper Deck Goodwin Champions brand in my collection so far.<br />
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Most of what I've accumulated so far is from 2016 & 2017, but there are a few things from older sets, and that's what the first post will be about. I know I have a blaster or two and a bunch of older base I won in a contest back in the day floating around here somewhere as well, but none of it seems to be scanned (or they died along with an old computer, I dunno which), so yeah, just the hits right now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uAkryZdc-3Y/W3r-AQ4z3KI/AAAAAAAAB9E/xnJmhTR4wDUjQYUk_G1AqXBoLLx1F3GHgCLcBGAs/s1600/2012%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BSonya%2BThomas%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uAkryZdc-3Y/W3r-AQ4z3KI/AAAAAAAAB9E/xnJmhTR4wDUjQYUk_G1AqXBoLLx1F3GHgCLcBGAs/s400/2012%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BSonya%2BThomas%2BAutograph.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2012 Goodwin Champions Sonya Thomas Autograph..</td></tr>
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Goodwin Champions started out as a baseball product in 2009 (the Evelyn Ng at the top of the post is from the OG set), essentially Upper Deck's answer to Topps' offbeat ultra old school brand Allen & Ginter. It wasn't until UD lost their MLB license that it was eventually retooled into the even more offbeat than Allen & Ginter multi-sport/non-sport hybrid we know & mostly love today.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZXILzaEDwM/W3r95JwzOuI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/VpsiZjOLYsEa0cwhlNcIJYy7c61iXTpZQCEwYBhgL/s1600/2011%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BNatalie%2BGulbis%2BRelic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="501" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZXILzaEDwM/W3r95JwzOuI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/VpsiZjOLYsEa0cwhlNcIJYy7c61iXTpZQCEwYBhgL/s400/2011%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BNatalie%2BGulbis%2BRelic.jpg" width="277" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2011 Goodwin Champions Natalie Gulbis Relic..</td></tr>
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I think I have an absolutely terrible looking Warren Moon relic from one of the earlier sets too, but I don't have a scan of it handy either. This Natalie Gulbis from 2011 looks fantastic though! She appears to radiating energy with the force of a thousand suns.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2W38aasjaTM/W3r95NPbv4I/AAAAAAAAB9M/WEHx0L0R-hEJMAVuRZmr57xN_p4w_5qygCEwYBhgL/s1600/2013%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BMimi%2BKnoop%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2W38aasjaTM/W3r95NPbv4I/AAAAAAAAB9M/WEHx0L0R-hEJMAVuRZmr57xN_p4w_5qygCEwYBhgL/s400/2013%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BMimi%2BKnoop%2BAutograph.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2013 Goodwin Champions Mimi Knoop Autograph..</td></tr>
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I don't really collect any minis at all anymore (though I'm seriously considering a page of those magnificent Thor: Ragnarok minis you get out of the Dyson Cards), so I don't really have any from any year of Goodwin Champions to show. They often have cooler and more diverse (& attainable, despite being technically rarer) parallels than A&G can usually muster, but very few, if any, mini inserts to offer. They aren't typically one-per-pack either (usually 1:2-1:4, iirc). Win some, lose some.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eVn57A1h7XE/W3r_LAQIT4I/AAAAAAAAB9Y/BByGrRgEwYwSmbWeFzfntYXnLp0WjdYcwCLcBGAs/s1600/2015%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BMiki%2BSudo%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eVn57A1h7XE/W3r_LAQIT4I/AAAAAAAAB9Y/BByGrRgEwYwSmbWeFzfntYXnLp0WjdYcwCLcBGAs/s400/2015%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BMiki%2BSudo%2BAutograph.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 Goodwin Champions Miki Sudo autograph..</td></tr>
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Closing out episode one with a trio of autos from 2015. Like I said, I don't have a ton of pre-2016 stuff, but there will almost certainly be more in the future. I'm especially fond of the design of these 2015's autos.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TSY9RKN60-A/W3r95MK2MwI/AAAAAAAAB9M/7PUAcIvRCaM_Ath3eyenO--CailIvdjngCEwYBhgL/s1600/2015%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BAlana%2BBeard%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TSY9RKN60-A/W3r95MK2MwI/AAAAAAAAB9M/7PUAcIvRCaM_Ath3eyenO--CailIvdjngCEwYBhgL/s400/2015%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BAlana%2BBeard%2BAutograph.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 Goodwin Champions Alana Beard Autograph..</td></tr>
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Alana Beard is a name I knew, as is the final card in this episode (which is why I got them). But for whatever reason, Goodwin Champions hits are exceptionally inexpensive. The checklist is usually pretty quirky, but it's pretty much all on-card, and some years you aren't even guaranteed an auto in every box. Crazy. I think the Evelyn Ng up top might've been around $5, but I don't think anything in the rest in this post cost me over $2.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-weQqYx9K4EI/W3r95su8SJI/AAAAAAAAB9I/OITR6PdmjTMdeMPDHog4OLc9erBq2wInQCEwYBhgL/s1600/2015%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BIvan%2BStewart%2BInscription%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="508" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-weQqYx9K4EI/W3r95su8SJI/AAAAAAAAB9I/OITR6PdmjTMdeMPDHog4OLc9erBq2wInQCEwYBhgL/s400/2015%2BGoodwin%2BChampions%2BIvan%2BStewart%2BInscription%2BAutograph.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 Goodwin Champions "Ironman" Ivan Stewart Inscribed Autograph #'ed 4/298..</td></tr>
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Much like A&G, you don't tend to find a whole lot of numbered stuff in Goodwin Champions, but a lot of it will be hand-numbered when you do. The inscribed autos are usually much rarer (often /50 or less), but some signers just naturally have the inscription as part of their signature, and most of them get counted as count as part of the Inscription parallel. I have two others like this numbered much higher in later episodes, and also a couple of the normal, much rarer variety.<br />
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That's it for part one. I hope to be able to open a box myself someday, but they are typically well out of my price range. I'm going to keep getting singles whenever I can though. Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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<i>Until our next...</i></div>
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Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-18016526911868043682018-08-15T07:49:00.002-07:002018-08-21T08:49:23.498-07:00Dyson Here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlPmrIg0ERQ/W3wqJUc9NPI/AAAAAAAACF4/oMP6a773ILkpg8eOWxJJaqDt2KbLwdMZQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2017%2BUpper%2BDeck%2BThor%2BRagnarok%2BIncredible%2BHulk%2B%2523104%2BDyson%2BCards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="501" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlPmrIg0ERQ/W3wqJUc9NPI/AAAAAAAACF4/oMP6a773ILkpg8eOWxJJaqDt2KbLwdMZQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2017%2BUpper%2BDeck%2BThor%2BRagnarok%2BIncredible%2BHulk%2B%2523104%2BDyson%2BCards.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Incredible Hulk #104..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The only relatively major non-sketch card pickup I added to August's just-arrived art-heavy lineup was the above Dyson Card from Thor: Ragnarok. They are basically rip cards, though much, much easier to pull than Allen & Ginter. Lot cheaper too. This one was the cheapest on the site at the time and set me back a cool $3.75.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kiPKjOS5AB4/W3wqJDKqGMI/AAAAAAAACFI/kCdXFD-39goPXEGpDJp3pKqMoUQN8ZffQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2017%2BUpper%2BDeck%2BThor%2BRagnarok%2BIncredible%2BHulk%2B%2523104%2BDyson%2BCards-%2BBack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="505" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kiPKjOS5AB4/W3wqJDKqGMI/AAAAAAAACFI/kCdXFD-39goPXEGpDJp3pKqMoUQN8ZffQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2017%2BUpper%2BDeck%2BThor%2BRagnarok%2BIncredible%2BHulk%2B%2523104%2BDyson%2BCards-%2BBack.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back (I didn't scan it until after I already opened it)..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm glad the cheapest one available was from the best Hulk story ever imo. Planet Hulk is where Bruce Banner's story ends as far as I'm concerned. As you can see, it's all perforated & much easier to open without obliterating your card than A&G rip cards tend to be as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NBgAdUjS404/W3wqJIlpsbI/AAAAAAAACFY/4L8991oTCuQAeVuh0AcdbtGogSD62uNyQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2017%2BUpper%2BDeck%2BThor%2BRagnarok%2BIncredible%2BHulk%2B%2523104%2BDyson%2BCards-%2BOpen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="878" height="325" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NBgAdUjS404/W3wqJIlpsbI/AAAAAAAACFY/4L8991oTCuQAeVuh0AcdbtGogSD62uNyQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2017%2BUpper%2BDeck%2BThor%2BRagnarok%2BIncredible%2BHulk%2B%2523104%2BDyson%2BCards-%2BOpen.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open card surgery..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here it is open. According to Cardboard Connection's checklist, the basic pull is "Mini Comics" (1:2 Dyson Cards), with an ever-so-slightly rarer acetate parallel (1:3), Comic Creator Autographs fall 1:6 Dyson Cards, with acetates at 1:11, and the big score: Actor Autographs falling 1:39 (Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson can both be hit in there, as well as director Taika Waititi). COMC shows non-autographed characters from the movie too, but I don't see them on the checklist anywhere, so I can't give you any odds on them.<br />
<br />
Anyway, my pull came in a mini sleeve glued to the inside of one of the flaps that open up. That's mighty sporting of them. So what did we pull?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E6Dl6M9l9C8/W3wqQMbMh7I/AAAAAAAACFk/up1pSflC-Ykiyu76FeLDq-0-XwF8K59bACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2017%2BUpper%2BDeck%2BThor%2BRagnarok%2BRon%2BGarney%2BMini%2BAcetate%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="616" height="347" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E6Dl6M9l9C8/W3wqQMbMh7I/AAAAAAAACFk/up1pSflC-Ykiyu76FeLDq-0-XwF8K59bACPcBGAYYCw/s400/2017%2BUpper%2BDeck%2BThor%2BRagnarok%2BRon%2BGarney%2BMini%2BAcetate%2BAutograph.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mini(s)?!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Immediately I noticed there were two cards in the sleeve. The card itself, and a COA, which means...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xOnsejwMQCo/W3wqQDDayhI/AAAAAAAACF4/2gf80Od7woYvXjRS_Laioi7-t1d6Le-rwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2017%2BUpper%2BDeck%2BThor%2BRagnarok%2BRon%2BGarney%2BMini%2BAcetate%2BAutograph-Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="615" height="355" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xOnsejwMQCo/W3wqQDDayhI/AAAAAAAACF4/2gf80Od7woYvXjRS_Laioi7-t1d6Le-rwCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2017%2BUpper%2BDeck%2BThor%2BRagnarok%2BRon%2BGarney%2BMini%2BAcetate%2BAutograph-Back.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini backs, feat. auto goodness!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We hit a Ron Garney mini acetate autograph! He is a fairly prolific artist and very occasional writer, almost entirely with Marvel. It's hard to tell in the scan, but this is a sticker auto. It's all on it though and he has pretty solid penmanship.<br />
<br />
There are some huge legends on the creator checklist (Walt Simonson, Sal Buscema, etc), so this isn't the biggest pull. But it's probably an $8-10 card, which more than double what I paid for the Dyson card. I think almost anything you pulled would probably be at least worth the price of admission though if you pick one up for under $5, so there's no fear in breaking these the way there is with A&G. And the potential to hit a monster is still there.<br />
<br />
But enough pondering of the potential monetary value of things. I'm not inclined to part with this right now, since it looks rad as heck fits nicely into the unofficial mini-PC I have going of creator autos from various Marvel products (I also have a few from that one CBLDF set from... almost a decade ago now). I've barely bought anything but singles this year, so this probably qualifies as my best pull of the year to this point (looking it up, this is only the second auto & 4th "hit" overall that I've pulled in 2018, which is actually not terrible for how little I've opened).<br />
<br />
I need some food and then some sleep, so I guess that's enough jibba-jabba for now. Thanks for stopping by!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Until our next...</i></div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-752534287328431022018-08-08T11:54:00.000-07:002018-08-21T09:43:18.578-07:00Free Group Break HaulNear the end of July, <b><i><u><a href="https://twitter.com/flywheels" target="_blank">Colbey</a></u></i></b> of <b><i><u><a href="http://cardboardcollections.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cardboard Collections</a></u></i></b> fame held a free group break on Twitter/Periscope of a couple retail jumbo boxes of 2016 Donruss Optic baseball. Of course, being that late in the month, I was too broke for even a free break (it was just $4 to cover shipping). But, he let me pay up in August, and I ended up being able to get a team. That team was the White Sox. They barely exist within the set, with five base cards total and no rookies, but I still somehow managed to do pretty well. So let's have us a look, shall we?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HtqhfAA0r1U/W3w_LFmTZUI/AAAAAAAACIw/HHcM2cpIZ6Y20TWjzH_nxZupzPdWdj2jgCEwYBhgL/s1600/001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HtqhfAA0r1U/W3w_LFmTZUI/AAAAAAAACIw/HHcM2cpIZ6Y20TWjzH_nxZupzPdWdj2jgCEwYBhgL/s400/001.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Holo/Prizm/Refractor/what-the-heck-ever...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One auto was pulled from the two boxes, but the sox that player wore were the wrong color. I did manage to hit one of the dozen-ish numbered parallels that came out of the break though.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SoTgGD6Ln_M/W3w_M2GQs_I/AAAAAAAACJg/zXH__5BonJEEH71e2rrSN4EvVVm-Nae8gCEwYBhgL/s1600/002%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SoTgGD6Ln_M/W3w_M2GQs_I/AAAAAAAACJg/zXH__5BonJEEH71e2rrSN4EvVVm-Nae8gCEwYBhgL/s400/002%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> ...#'ed 134/149!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div>
I'm pretty happy with that. I have a few versions of Sale's Diamond King now, the rarest being the Carolina Blue /50.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nE20Djqbo8M/W3w_LD4R70I/AAAAAAAACJM/4wjMOFRqm2ECKode_gEHc9Wv3QdQncY9QCEwYBhgL/s1600/001%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="1003" height="285" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nE20Djqbo8M/W3w_LD4R70I/AAAAAAAACJM/4wjMOFRqm2ECKode_gEHc9Wv3QdQncY9QCEwYBhgL/s400/001%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HoloPrizmFractors..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I also pulled the basic shiny version of Abreu & Sale's base cards for the PC...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zYcdWSrjk5g/W3w_LbRh8XI/AAAAAAAACJQ/fxEPbvUC-dsi2p0mtDJTMR-PGktyobfYQCEwYBhgL/s1600/001%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="1501" height="306" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zYcdWSrjk5g/W3w_LbRh8XI/AAAAAAAACJQ/fxEPbvUC-dsi2p0mtDJTMR-PGktyobfYQCEwYBhgL/s640/001%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple people eaters..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
...as well as a trio of purples! Eaton and Frazier will definitely be available for trade, but I might hang onto this version of Sale's Diamond King too. Maybe I'll eventually stumble my way into a rainbow or something.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C9FnRvdUMY4/W3w_LwVLV3I/AAAAAAAACJc/NA_70N0KEgQXw_e0CWzz8XvThqQfy1-SQCEwYBhgL/s1600/003%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="1503" height="302" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C9FnRvdUMY4/W3w_LwVLV3I/AAAAAAAACJc/NA_70N0KEgQXw_e0CWzz8XvThqQfy1-SQCEwYBhgL/s640/003%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Base..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div>
So six out of my 13 cards were parallels, but I was also still able to complete the base team set, such as it was.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hs8CSUHsRNs/W3w_LRmEtKI/AAAAAAAACJU/M3szl7oNiXUNq2OjT1QJEpYkSUnceJEowCEwYBhgL/s1600/003%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="1003" height="283" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hs8CSUHsRNs/W3w_LRmEtKI/AAAAAAAACJU/M3szl7oNiXUNq2OjT1QJEpYkSUnceJEowCEwYBhgL/s400/003%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Couple more Abreus..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There were two base Abreus, which is nice. And we'll end the post like we started it...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_7QCc-5s-UA/W3w_Mb4hq1I/AAAAAAAACJY/8XdC0UwEuJ4u59qr2tSJuRnGh37U6wvDgCEwYBhgL/s1600/003%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="1003" height="285" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_7QCc-5s-UA/W3w_Mb4hq1I/AAAAAAAACJY/8XdC0UwEuJ4u59qr2tSJuRnGh37U6wvDgCEwYBhgL/s400/003%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Base Diamond Kings..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
...with more Chris Sale Diamond Kings! I just noticed as I was posting this that the one on the right much brighter & sharper. I checked because I thought it might be a scanner quirk or that I missed a parallel or something, but it looks like that in real life too and doesn't have a refractory shine to it or anything. They're both just pretty freshly pack-pulled base cards and one has super vibrant colors and the just... doesn't. Even the above parallels don't look that bright. Yet another cardboard oddity...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So that about wraps up this post. Thanks again to Colbey for holding the group and allowing me a little extra time to pay for the shipping. Watching was a nice way to kill an hour on a lazy Saturday night, and doing well in it was a nice added bonus. As ever, thank you for stopping by!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Until our next...</i></div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-9290526725739085682018-08-07T04:44:00.000-07:002018-08-21T09:16:26.877-07:00Oversized Action<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
My first COMC shipment in June had an unexpected $3.99 off, so I was able to clear out all my oversized items and have it still come to pretty close to the same price as a normal shipment. And so here they are. Well, all the actually oversized ones. There were a few that were just regular sized that cost more because they were already top loaded or encased or whatever. Anyway, let's do this.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RfdHrWce8n0/W3w26riyTPI/AAAAAAAACGY/lYNPV0gAnEceLK7WW_iPyuRID_S1b5W-gCLcBGAs/s1600/022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1009" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RfdHrWce8n0/W3w26riyTPI/AAAAAAAACGY/lYNPV0gAnEceLK7WW_iPyuRID_S1b5W-gCLcBGAs/s640/022.jpg" width="460" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heritage 5x7" Mookie Action Variation #'ed 22/49..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Leading off with a monster of a Mookie. I dunno why they didn't do the burlap pattern on these jumbos, but whatever. This has a couple minor dings that weren't mentioned or visible on COMC, but at $2.80 I was happy to get a nice Mookie for well over $4 less than any other card from this release was available for at the time (and possible still may be, I haven't checked in awhile), and I doubt most of the rest were all that minty fresh either. It just happens with oversized cards sometimes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-09T7c4VUS_o/W3w3PXZAZMI/AAAAAAAACGk/8zfL7oOvP8gpLFgy8Hpt5VGvPCpt-jxkwCLcBGAs/s1600/013%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1053" data-original-width="650" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-09T7c4VUS_o/W3w3PXZAZMI/AAAAAAAACGk/8zfL7oOvP8gpLFgy8Hpt5VGvPCpt-jxkwCLcBGAs/s400/013%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1964 Topps Giants trade bait x1..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There's a lot of vintage in the middle of this post. These first three are available for trade.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ntP00zJaOyk/W3w3PisLa5I/AAAAAAAACHk/Q8hAnN54smoKJycUO4Ldh3yQW0RknuW-QCEwYBhgL/s1600/013%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1054" data-original-width="645" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ntP00zJaOyk/W3w3PisLa5I/AAAAAAAACHk/Q8hAnN54smoKJycUO4Ldh3yQW0RknuW-QCEwYBhgL/s400/013%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1964 Topps Giants trade bait x2..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
They aren't in the best condition, but they don't seem to be outright poor like the COMC claimed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k7V9pjeflCM/W3w3PksTEJI/AAAAAAAACHY/geI44twSRWA1ExqowF_CiABEt5vUNNYBwCEwYBhgL/s1600/013%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="645" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k7V9pjeflCM/W3w3PksTEJI/AAAAAAAACHY/geI44twSRWA1ExqowF_CiABEt5vUNNYBwCEwYBhgL/s400/013%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25284%2529.jpg" width="243" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1964 Topps Giants trade bait x3..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That likely made them much cheaper though. I wouldn't likely have even noticed them at all otherwise. But anyway, stake your claim.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UPdBVsyF_xc/W3w3TOphHhI/AAAAAAAACHk/eYPAZIK50tUB9O4UVFyfSpcB2yoAGs4igCEwYBhgL/s1600/013%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="639" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UPdBVsyF_xc/W3w3TOphHhI/AAAAAAAACHk/eYPAZIK50tUB9O4UVFyfSpcB2yoAGs4igCEwYBhgL/s400/013%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1964 Topps Giants keeper..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Billy is a keeper though. He cost me a little more, but was still plenty cheap enough.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vwMq6IjChxk/W3w3TDFbT2I/AAAAAAAACHc/78LUTXxJm9ovksFgJU5s_wNipIkXBW6vgCEwYBhgL/s1600/013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="637" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vwMq6IjChxk/W3w3TDFbT2I/AAAAAAAACHc/78LUTXxJm9ovksFgJU5s_wNipIkXBW6vgCEwYBhgL/s400/013.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1971 Topps Super Fergie Jenkins..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Fergie is also a keeper. He is also super thicc for such an old card. I didn't know these things were so solid & sturdy. Like, the card is genuinely hard. You could use it as a coaster if you wanted to. You could do some legitimate damage flinging it at someone's face. Are these analogies getting weird?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uSfaCw1BeCw/W3w3cHxj9vI/AAAAAAAACH4/WzOABJJL0KsQWnEO6GdEZOMHR-kEpqm7QCEwYBhgL/s1600/016%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="683" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uSfaCw1BeCw/W3w3cHxj9vI/AAAAAAAACH4/WzOABJJL0KsQWnEO6GdEZOMHR-kEpqm7QCEwYBhgL/s400/016%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chico Carrasquel Exhibits..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm on the fence about whether or not to keep Chico. Condition-wise, he's got a bit of water damage but otherwise seems to be holding up remarkably well. While it's not as hard or thick as the Super Fergie, these are definitely made of a good solid cut of cardboard. I'm tempted to commit some blasphemy and draw on the blank back, so I guess you better take this off my hands if you want to save him from my mediocre art skillz. 😂<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-adsUMAY3sxM/W3w3ZF333bI/AAAAAAAACHw/s_KSUdIRvDYDLmgYbpP3BICOIRQcalNYQCEwYBhgL/s1600/014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="884" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-adsUMAY3sxM/W3w3ZF333bI/AAAAAAAACHw/s_KSUdIRvDYDLmgYbpP3BICOIRQcalNYQCEwYBhgL/s640/014.jpg" width="353" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool backs, bro..</td></tr>
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Speaking of that, I guess I might as well show off the backs of ye olden timey jumbo cards, since they are pretty nifty. They have that newspapery article feel to them. For you younglings, newspapers were basically papery political & sports blogs, just without a comment section full of swearing and name calling. Anyway, those are the trader baiter backs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PED1QrqRQ5k/W3w3V-yfXzI/AAAAAAAACH4/fVTT_n-Ie2MWZ7HWq4WzDdm6JsUo2fLAwCEwYBhgL/s1600/014%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="1063" height="238" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PED1QrqRQ5k/W3w3V-yfXzI/AAAAAAAACH4/fVTT_n-Ie2MWZ7HWq4WzDdm6JsUo2fLAwCEwYBhgL/s400/014%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. Freshman..</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n4cxq8MYbcc/W3w3VxNO-gI/AAAAAAAACH4/aIJWlEyCLzcuaLaOh7i1xmH1mJfhd_YtwCEwYBhgL/s1600/014%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="1086" height="238" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n4cxq8MYbcc/W3w3VxNO-gI/AAAAAAAACH4/aIJWlEyCLzcuaLaOh7i1xmH1mJfhd_YtwCEwYBhgL/s400/014%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This card is weirdly misshapen..</td></tr>
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</span>And here are my dudes. I guess I should post the back of Chico too while I'm at it.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GueTuPol0yY/W3w3cFw55kI/AAAAAAAACHs/3B4yAHyMobItynTZ5XmoCLyEnAZjp1n1gCEwYBhgL/s1600/017%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="687" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GueTuPol0yY/W3w3cFw55kI/AAAAAAAACHs/3B4yAHyMobItynTZ5XmoCLyEnAZjp1n1gCEwYBhgL/s400/017%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Empty! For now...</td></tr>
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There's nothing there right now, but only you offering up something for it can keep it that way. Mwahahaha... Although, I suppose you could also offer up something for me to draw on it for you too, now that I think about it. I dunno, are you also feeling blasphemous today? 😉<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--UYXawuPyR0/W3w3MIdVKcI/AAAAAAAACHY/r4KNn3K_uZg6YsdhFRnngve4vViJwSwOgCEwYBhgL/s1600/022%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1404" data-original-width="1014" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--UYXawuPyR0/W3w3MIdVKcI/AAAAAAAACHY/r4KNn3K_uZg6YsdhFRnngve4vViJwSwOgCEwYBhgL/s640/022%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="462" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold Label 5x7" Papi Class 2 #'ed 11/49..</td></tr>
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Finishing it off with the other Topps Online exclusive I found around the same time as the Mookie at the top of the post. This one was also similarly dramatically cheaper than the rest of its set-mates. It also has no visible damage and only cost me 50<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">¢ (+ the buck for shipping)! I'm not keen to give up this or Mookie, but I could be talked out of them, I suppose. I don't really have anywhere to put them right now unless I slide them down the front of a binder or something.</span><br />
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Let me know if any of the actual or potential trade bait hooked ya and maybe we can work something out. That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Until our next...</i></div>
</div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-26629690212428728192018-08-05T00:33:00.000-07:002018-08-21T09:18:39.530-07:00PC87I know some bloggers have mixed feelings about Youtube boxbreakers. I get it, but I do like them for the most part. I mean, they must all be obscenely rich judging by the amount of product they break, but yeah, I think it's a worthwhile service and there are several pretty good ones.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--sDmWzy6g1M/W3w3fAC9d4I/AAAAAAAACHw/skDt5K-rMgEVYR4T2dr2uXl_pGJGqNPyQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/PC87.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="514" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--sDmWzy6g1M/W3w3fAC9d4I/AAAAAAAACHw/skDt5K-rMgEVYR4T2dr2uXl_pGJGqNPyQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/PC87.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only Packers card welcome in my collection..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><i><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl8J80KWx8ZNyRlytls9omg/featured" target="_blank">Packer Cards 87</a></u></i></b> is one of the more popular and easygoing breakers on the platform, so even though I question his taste in teams and don't even really collect all that much football these days, I still rarely miss an upload. So when he mentioned these signed customs a few months back for the price of just a couple bucks for shipping, I jumped at the chance to pick one up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4IWTKyNrts/W3w3fJD9udI/AAAAAAAACH4/-3rLjESd9pwS5toj17xxRRMF9TjyQNE5QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/PC87-%2Bback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="513" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4IWTKyNrts/W3w3fJD9udI/AAAAAAAACH4/-3rLjESd9pwS5toj17xxRRMF9TjyQNE5QCPcBGAYYCw/s400/PC87-%2Bback.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back..</td></tr>
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I wasn't lucky enough to hit one of the chase parallels (I believe there were a few glossy variants and some signed in different colors of ink), but it's cool. He seems to be doing a lot of good work in the community and bringing people back to the hobby though, so I'm just glad to add his signature to my collection. Hopefully I'll be able to add some more blogger and Youtuber signatures in the future.<br />
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That's it for this one. Just a short post today. Thanks for stopping by!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Jordy, what up dude?!</i></div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-74238920241985211772018-08-04T00:06:00.001-07:002018-08-21T09:21:59.000-07:00A New Raven Appears!So this is super cool. I am very poor, so it's rare and usually only when I'm getting something in return, but I do like to donate to good people & good causes on occasion when I have the money at the beginning of months. So for a little donation to her ACLU fundraiser, I was able to commission a painting by an actual celebrity.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zSRvP9VHo0o/W3w7vD-D0VI/AAAAAAAACIM/pJiG6wDmic0UO7u1mlkxQcxRKy_XVZ9CACEwYBhgL/s1600/Raven%2BPainting%2Bby%2BBridget%2BMcManus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1239" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zSRvP9VHo0o/W3w7vD-D0VI/AAAAAAAACIM/pJiG6wDmic0UO7u1mlkxQcxRKy_XVZ9CACEwYBhgL/s640/Raven%2BPainting%2Bby%2BBridget%2BMcManus.jpg" width="495" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raven!!</td></tr>
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You may not know the name, but <b><i><u><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2459770/" target="_blank">Bridget McManus</a></u></i></b> is an actress/comedian/writer/producer/director/all-around talent, and she can also kinda paint a little bit. So yeah, this is rad. I think this is only the second Raven addition I've had the chance to add all year. It's 8x11" and I freakin' love it!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NIsUQDRqDuM/W3w7pbqZRRI/AAAAAAAACIQ/wQpo3teejRsmP6zZqkWhGMGwHDClK2kXQCEwYBhgL/s1600/024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="639" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NIsUQDRqDuM/W3w7pbqZRRI/AAAAAAAACIQ/wQpo3teejRsmP6zZqkWhGMGwHDClK2kXQCEwYBhgL/s320/024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There was also this little note paperclipped to the painting. This is cool because after... <i>noting</i> *ahem* how many people keep the notes that frequently come in packages, I realized I was a total dummy for not doing so myself. So starting with July's arrivals, they will be safely filed away in a box when I get them.<br />
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I guess that about wraps it up for today. It was a pretty short post, but a mighty fun one! As ever, thanks for stopping by. Here's the sign-off, which I finally get to use on a post it's relevant to for once.<br />
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<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Until our next...</i></div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-81328055831976611542018-08-02T00:03:00.000-07:002018-08-21T10:11:39.942-07:00COMC Odds & Ends- A&G Non-Sport Autos & Buyback Frankenset "Inserts"I don't really have anything specific to post or show today, so you get a little sampling from my June & July COMC shipments that have been scanned so far. As the title says, I picked up three new A&G non-sport autos & a few cards for my Buyback Repurposed Sketch Card Frankenset, and here they are.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FzmnAip4r0Q/W3xFSfrQGmI/AAAAAAAACKs/kGNHS0dErg8yCC3CU6kKnOzSNztQFH-awCEwYBhgL/s1600/2008%2BAllen%2B%2526%2BGinter%2BTodd%2BClever%2BMini%2BFramed%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FzmnAip4r0Q/W3xFSfrQGmI/AAAAAAAACKs/kGNHS0dErg8yCC3CU6kKnOzSNztQFH-awCEwYBhgL/s400/2008%2BAllen%2B%2526%2BGinter%2BTodd%2BClever%2BMini%2BFramed%2BAutograph.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2008 Todd Clever autograph..</td></tr>
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Starting off with American rugby legend Todd Clever. Never expected to find this card so cheap because it was from the early days of Topps' Allen & Ginter line, but I'm very happy to have it. All three were in the $5.50-$7 range, and this was the one in the middle.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X1IE_919maI/W3w3oO4Y2pI/AAAAAAAACH4/0NrH2jHZ89U4tIibfa29pyPqplLpoJYYACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/015%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="1020" height="281" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X1IE_919maI/W3w3oO4Y2pI/AAAAAAAACH4/0NrH2jHZ89U4tIibfa29pyPqplLpoJYYACPcBGAYYCw/s400/015%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1990 Bowman Buybacks..</td></tr>
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We'll circle back to the Gintery goodness at the end, but before that, the buybacks. I've mentioned I'm putting together a monster frankenset for artin' on in the past, and these are for the insert and hit pages.<br />
<div>
<br />
Indeed, in addition to a 792 card base set, my set will also feature nine cards each of Bowman, A&G, miscellaneous football, non-sport, and autographed buybacks that are on stock that can be drawn on. I'd do basketball, Donruss baseball, Topps Traded, & hockey too if I could, but I don't think there's enough of any of them out in the wild at cheap enough prices to worry about it (though my latest package from <b><i><u><a href="https://twitter.com/pennysleeves" target="_blank">Jon</a></u></i></b> from <b><i><u><a href="http://pennysleevethoughts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Penny Sleeve...</a></u></i></b> did include an '87 Traded card, so that page could end up being in play after all).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eWd8xqUV9yc/W3w3j2wm1jI/AAAAAAAACH0/JyIGwvKYIqMQQgRIZZWJ0e8W1srufeShQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/015%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eWd8xqUV9yc/W3w3j2wm1jI/AAAAAAAACH0/JyIGwvKYIqMQQgRIZZWJ0e8W1srufeShQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/015%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1989 Topps John Elway buyback..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's hard to make out the stamping on this, but according to COMC, this is a 2003 Topps Fan Favorites Vintage Buyback. Vintage used in the loosest possible terms, especially all the way back in 2003. Seriously, 2003 is closer to 1989 than it is to 2018, and now we all get to feel old and miserable together.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5kmCq8xS8k4/W3xG0sK02nI/AAAAAAAACK4/M-uvWWCYwQsPgED9k_1z-_hyHFEwmEPxACLcBGAs/s1600/2003%2BTopps%2BFan%2BFavorites%2B1989%2BTopps%2BJohn%2BElway%2BBuyback-%2BBack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="504" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5kmCq8xS8k4/W3xG0sK02nI/AAAAAAAACK4/M-uvWWCYwQsPgED9k_1z-_hyHFEwmEPxACLcBGAs/s400/2003%2BTopps%2BFan%2BFavorites%2B1989%2BTopps%2BJohn%2BElway%2BBuyback-%2BBack.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back..</td></tr>
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It doesn't show up great on the back either, but yeah. Obscure Hall of Fame buyback for under a buck. I'll take it.</div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3U2WOmK9K7c/W3xByE1oF9I/AAAAAAAACKE/tILscW5C8U8sK3sv5wc1_jNOZo6MG_bXACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/009%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3U2WOmK9K7c/W3xByE1oF9I/AAAAAAAACKE/tILscW5C8U8sK3sv5wc1_jNOZo6MG_bXACPcBGAYYCw/s400/009%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Topps Archives Autograph Buyback?!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here is my first one for the autograph page. Another oddity. It seems to just be like any other stamped buyback randomly inserted into packs in 2016, even though it's an autograph you might pull from a box of the previous year's Archives. Weird, but there are actually at least a half dozen other autos from various recent sets floating around the COMC ether, so it clearly wasn't a mistake on Topps' part. None of the others are on drawable stock, unfortunately. Nor are they near as cheap as this one was. I only paid $1.20 for it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O-PXkyBksvQ/W3xB2qtpcAI/AAAAAAAACKM/NdY0_EM3MqgDb-F39D2YL102mxJ7FP-rQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2016%2BAllen%2B%2526%2BGinter%2BRandy%2BSklar%2BMini%2BFramed%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O-PXkyBksvQ/W3xB2qtpcAI/AAAAAAAACKM/NdY0_EM3MqgDb-F39D2YL102mxJ7FP-rQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2016%2BAllen%2B%2526%2BGinter%2BRandy%2BSklar%2BMini%2BFramed%2BAutograph.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheap Seats!</td></tr>
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Getting into the home stretch of this post and back to the Allen & Ginter autos! Both Sklar brothers signed for this set, but Randy was the only one in my price range at the time. I must track down Jason someday though, because Cheap Seats is one of my favorite shows of all-time. They also starred in the web series Back on Topps, which was also quite amusing and featured numerous cameos.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pXdcD_Q3K10/W3xB2alp3JI/AAAAAAAACKI/c35NIF6bascZi8P55zYo4S2yTR7gIOxLACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2016%2BAllen%2B%2526%2BGinter%2BAnthony%2BAnderson%2BMini%2BFramed%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pXdcD_Q3K10/W3xB2alp3JI/AAAAAAAACKI/c35NIF6bascZi8P55zYo4S2yTR7gIOxLACPcBGAYYCw/s400/2016%2BAllen%2B%2526%2BGinter%2BAnthony%2BAnderson%2BMini%2BFramed%2BAutograph.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Classing up this joint with a lil legit A-List starpower..</td></tr>
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And we'll close it out on a high with the autograph of a legitimate star for just $7! From <i>Hang Time</i> to <i>Kangaroo Jack</i> to the self parody years of <i>Law & Order</i> to the present day and the wildly successful sitcom <i>Black-ish</i>, Anthony Anderson has been appearing on both the big and small screens on a pretty regular basis since the mid-'90s. Absolutely stoked to have this card.</div>
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That's all for this one. Thanks for stopping by!<br />
<br />
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<i>Until our next...</i><br />
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Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-57287397217932391872018-07-29T14:14:00.002-07:002018-07-29T14:14:46.409-07:00The Trading Post: Breakdown Cards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wM5dK3gRYqE/W1zPkjoj9II/AAAAAAAABk4/JcEVVYpIqGIkdmj1N8qOHD8Kt9dXKIRswCLcBGAs/s1600/trading1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="400" height="257" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wM5dK3gRYqE/W1zPkjoj9II/AAAAAAAABk4/JcEVVYpIqGIkdmj1N8qOHD8Kt9dXKIRswCLcBGAs/s320/trading1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It took a long time, but I finally managed to get a few long overdue trade packages out this month. Gavin was the first one to hit me back with something and here (almost all of) it is!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3HYWnQg8q3w/W1zU6R6pRII/AAAAAAAABlU/MUKoDZOAb7gg53UNLUL3LNEzrRwawWvrwCEwYBhgL/s1600/2017%2BDiamond%2BKings%2BFergie%2BJenkins%2BArtist%2BProof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="514" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3HYWnQg8q3w/W1zU6R6pRII/AAAAAAAABlU/MUKoDZOAb7gg53UNLUL3LNEzrRwawWvrwCEwYBhgL/s400/2017%2BDiamond%2BKings%2BFergie%2BJenkins%2BArtist%2BProof.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2017 Diamond Kings Artist Proof #'ed 85/99.. </td></tr>
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Starting off with one of the cards I knew was coming. I love Panini's current run of Diamond Kings, but aside from a couple blue frames from 2015 and three discount blasters worth of 2016 (where I scored that sick Corey Seager auto/patch /10 from my All-Autograph Team post), I don't have very much of it. Money has only gotten tighter since those discount blasters, and they were hard to justify even then. So it's nice to get a little taste like this once in awhile.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hWYu6Y4fTNk/W1zVEfs9PII/AAAAAAAABl0/RblZ1vcy2q0b4HJydjLK5J2lq1e5rnBGwCEwYBhgL/s1600/2005%2BAbsolute%2BMemorabilia%2BFergie%2BJenkins%2BAbsolute%2BHeroes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="708" height="291" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hWYu6Y4fTNk/W1zVEfs9PII/AAAAAAAABl0/RblZ1vcy2q0b4HJydjLK5J2lq1e5rnBGwCEwYBhgL/s400/2005%2BAbsolute%2BMemorabilia%2BFergie%2BJenkins%2BAbsolute%2BHeroes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2005 Absolute Memorabilia Absolute Heroes #'ed 205/250..</td></tr>
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These first two cards nicely highlight what I said about keeping my Fergie Jenkins collection in the Pick Five Blog Bat Around post the other day. While the career run collection can feel like a futile, endless grind, he has tons of fun modern stuff to collect that keeps it interesting. Though his post-career stuff is probably at least 95% Cubs & Rangers (Donruss absolutely <i>loved</i> him in a Rangers uni), playing for four different teams in his career helps vary it up just that much more.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W8i5zdT08TY/W1zU60oWGHI/AAAAAAAABls/2CiF7YujoNs0tci2fkqLY2aY_4IMlbQVgCEwYBhgL/s1600/2017-18%2BPanini%2BStatus%2BDerrick%2BRose%2BRed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W8i5zdT08TY/W1zU60oWGHI/AAAAAAAABls/2CiF7YujoNs0tci2fkqLY2aY_4IMlbQVgCEwYBhgL/s400/2017-18%2BPanini%2BStatus%2BDerrick%2BRose%2BRed.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2017-18 Panini Status D-Rose "Red" #'ed 190/299..</td></tr>
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The checklist over on Cardboard Connection says this is a red parallel, but it looks way more pink or magenta to me. But anyway, I love Status & still needed a couple more cards to complete my Rose page, so this a great addition. I don't remember if I claimed at some point or not, but it's a really nice addition. Seen approximately a pretty good number of people say this reminded them of early Skybox and I am 100% on board with that assessment. These are on foilboard and all have the same background design, but the computer generated graphics on a stark white void (when the bottom half isn't mostly colored in reddish-pink) does feel noticeably nostalgic to me.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_WAMS_WaC4o/W1zU6Z8i6OI/AAAAAAAABl0/K2eG0tBEGVEPi7T0Ods8lH7gu7cqI7VJwCEwYBhgL/s1600/2008-09%2BTopps%2BTip-Off%2BGail%2BGoodrich%2BGold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="519" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_WAMS_WaC4o/W1zU6Z8i6OI/AAAAAAAABl0/K2eG0tBEGVEPi7T0Ods8lH7gu7cqI7VJwCEwYBhgL/s400/2008-09%2BTopps%2BTip-Off%2BGail%2BGoodrich%2BGold.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2008-09 Topps Tip-off Gold #'ed 66/99..</td></tr>
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This is another one I'm unsure how I ended up with, but it's a worthy inclusion on the Laker page if I ever decide to go through with my idea of making binders of team pages out as a way to organize the nicer random baseball, basketball, & football cards I'm not too attached too but can't seem to and/or don't really want to get rid of.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2XMk0dJj6UU/W1zVBiCkAkI/AAAAAAAABls/Ai90KfaICb4iJmt1SJlbhJ2Zzt6dc-jewCEwYBhgL/s1600/Kris%2BBryant%2BPersonal%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BGavin%2BBachner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="514" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2XMk0dJj6UU/W1zVBiCkAkI/AAAAAAAABls/Ai90KfaICb4iJmt1SJlbhJ2Zzt6dc-jewCEwYBhgL/s400/Kris%2BBryant%2BPersonal%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BGavin%2BBachner.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kris Bryant sketch card!</td></tr>
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Of course I can't let a single post go by without sneaking a sketch card in there. But seriously though, getting back to the baseball with this sweet Gavin original of Kris Bryant!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7J587dajxak/W13-lZTpodI/AAAAAAAABm0/2luMeXjBNnoDZryx7et23rz_d_Wl4LdUwCLcBGAs/s1600/2014%2BPrizm%2BDraft%2BKyle%2BSchwarber%2BDraft%2BClass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="499" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7J587dajxak/W13-lZTpodI/AAAAAAAABm0/2luMeXjBNnoDZryx7et23rz_d_Wl4LdUwCLcBGAs/s400/2014%2BPrizm%2BDraft%2BKyle%2BSchwarber%2BDraft%2BClass.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prizm Draft Schwarber..</td></tr>
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I think I have at least a couple of these already, but extra early Schwarbers are never a bad thing to have.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rUZfJzYAyuQ/W138sadIWMI/AAAAAAAABmY/kT3fpiJ3Y58OPNMLW1E0sT4Pkzhm6BGpgCEwYBhgL/s1600/015%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="505" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rUZfJzYAyuQ/W138sadIWMI/AAAAAAAABmY/kT3fpiJ3Y58OPNMLW1E0sT4Pkzhm6BGpgCEwYBhgL/s400/015%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2006 Topps Rookie of the Week..</td></tr>
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I have no recollection of this program at all, how hard they were to come by, or who the rest of the checklist consists of (this is card 24 of 25), but Ryno on the '83 Topps design is all I really need.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DEoBsNsNlIQ/W138o1SMgFI/AAAAAAAABmU/EmpUy8o5jFscmEHnKc9Mja8-QPPBxDVnACEwYBhgL/s1600/2011%2BBowman%2BChrome%2BTrey%2BMcNutt%2BProspect%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="508" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DEoBsNsNlIQ/W138o1SMgFI/AAAAAAAABmU/EmpUy8o5jFscmEHnKc9Mja8-QPPBxDVnACEwYBhgL/s400/2011%2BBowman%2BChrome%2BTrey%2BMcNutt%2BProspect%2BAutograph.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2011 BowChro Trey McNutt Prospect Auto..</td></tr>
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I've never been much for prospecting, but even in the most meh designs with the most forgotten failed prospects, Bowman Chrome autos are always nice & clean. McNutt topped out at AA and is currently trying to keep his career alive on the indies.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CiRDS2jxUjQ/W139AochmZI/AAAAAAAABmo/ZLEpEeKV_rMUdr8SAFb3PM01FlcfsHTgwCEwYBhgL/s1600/2015%2BBowman%2BChrome%2BCarson%2BSands%2BProspect%2BPurple%2BRefractor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="499" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CiRDS2jxUjQ/W139AochmZI/AAAAAAAABmo/ZLEpEeKV_rMUdr8SAFb3PM01FlcfsHTgwCEwYBhgL/s400/2015%2BBowman%2BChrome%2BCarson%2BSands%2BProspect%2BPurple%2BRefractor.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 BowChro Prospect Purple Refractor #'ed 225/250..</td></tr>
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Here's a nice purple refractor. I'm not sure yet, because it's mighty tempting to keep it for myself, but I might add it to my mom's pink & purple parallel binder whenever I'm next over there. Sands was a fairly high draft pick in 2014 and started strong, but injuries, ineffectiveness, and an influx of newer, much readier draftees lead him to being released this spring. As far as I can tell, nobody has picked him up since. He's only 23 though, so the clock on his career hasn't ticked down nearly as far as some of the other names in this post.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h8bEmaVB85A/W139Aq2s_qI/AAAAAAAABmo/FqHwUHsEpZ0TrAKZjoaBVRNG8dCOwBIWQCEwYBhgL/s1600/2015%2BBowman%2BChrome%2BStephen%2BBruno%2BProspect%2BAutograph%2BRefractor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h8bEmaVB85A/W139Aq2s_qI/AAAAAAAABmo/FqHwUHsEpZ0TrAKZjoaBVRNG8dCOwBIWQCEwYBhgL/s400/2015%2BBowman%2BChrome%2BStephen%2BBruno%2BProspect%2BAutograph%2BRefractor.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 BowChro Bruno Prospect Refractor Auto #'ed 199/499..</td></tr>
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Another nice Cubs prospect auto, this one a numbered refractor version. Bruno is closing in on 28 and seems to be struggling mightily at AAA this season, so unless he comes on strong and can catch on elsewhere, he might be independent league bound as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zoLo7yhVgnE/W139AhbCKPI/AAAAAAAABmo/cqP_dbEmhsgCGqAXurVeTG-CSCMqp_PLACEwYBhgL/s1600/2014%2BBowman%2BPlatinum%2BArismendy%2BAlcantara%2BGreen%2BRefractor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zoLo7yhVgnE/W139AhbCKPI/AAAAAAAABmo/cqP_dbEmhsgCGqAXurVeTG-CSCMqp_PLACEwYBhgL/s400/2014%2BBowman%2BPlatinum%2BArismendy%2BAlcantara%2BGreen%2BRefractor.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 BowPlat Green #'ed 128/399..</td></tr>
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This might be another dupe, but I'm not sure. This is from the last Platinum set before the brand went on a short hiatus, returning a couple years later as an only slightly retooled Walmart exclusive. Alcantara made the show with the Cubs but couldn't hit enough to stick on a team that was suddenly about to start contending.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-isHTKnIxOeY/W138o2yMqAI/AAAAAAAABmQ/cYFB_q6mY4wGyedNfeBoBk_qVixEUZUJgCEwYBhgL/s1600/2009%2BBowman%2BChrome%2BJovan%2BRosa%2BProspect%2BX-Fractor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-isHTKnIxOeY/W138o2yMqAI/AAAAAAAABmQ/cYFB_q6mY4wGyedNfeBoBk_qVixEUZUJgCEwYBhgL/s400/2009%2BBowman%2BChrome%2BJovan%2BRosa%2BProspect%2BX-Fractor.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2009 BowChro Prospect X-Fractor #'ed 179/250..</td></tr>
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I'm typically not a fan of X-Fractors, but this version from 2009 is legitimately amazing. I wouldn't be nearly as dismissive if they all looked more like this one. Despite putting up generally respectable numbers, Rosa has bounced around the minors, independent, and international leagues for over a decade without ever being all that close to making the show.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TDQTGwS1h_E/W13-fn6pbJI/AAAAAAAABm4/G7T35Jhopy0dkUP-MRRs-Exz1TL9B9dBwCEwYBhgL/s1600/2017%2BTopps%2BInception%2BJavier%2BBaez%2BMagenta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TDQTGwS1h_E/W13-fn6pbJI/AAAAAAAABm4/G7T35Jhopy0dkUP-MRRs-Exz1TL9B9dBwCEwYBhgL/s400/2017%2BTopps%2BInception%2BJavier%2BBaez%2BMagenta.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inception Magenta #'ed 80/99</td></tr>
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I've owned maybe a half-dozen (counting football) Inception cards ever because it's typically a higher end prospect product with barely any cards per box and is frequently quite hideous to boot. But the 2017 version looks decent, at least in magenta parallel form, and I'm happy to add any new #'ed Javy regardless, especially now that he's starting to fully realize his potential.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JDv9yUViV0c/W1zU6Wx70ZI/AAAAAAAABlw/Z9slQchLwd4dUd53R5qu9Q2Nvtbur0x3QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2005%2BBenchwarmer%2BAJ%2BAlmasi%2B%2526%2BLaura%2BDavis%2BDual%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="524" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JDv9yUViV0c/W1zU6Wx70ZI/AAAAAAAABlw/Z9slQchLwd4dUd53R5qu9Q2Nvtbur0x3QCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2005%2BBenchwarmer%2BAJ%2BAlmasi%2B%2526%2BLaura%2BDavis%2BDual%2BAutograph.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2005 Benchwarmer AJ Almasi/Laura Davis dual auto..</td></tr>
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Finally, closing it out with some pretty ladies in very little clothing. This sweet dual auto is arguably the centerpiece of the package, and I am excited to finally have it my possession. And remember what I always say about Benchwarmer cards...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_p-2U_RYNEc/W1zVEQgSi-I/AAAAAAAABlw/yFqqUCuZ8Qgzjngp3_71bMfJryduBKgJgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2005%2BBenchwarmer%2BAJ%2BAlmasi%2B%2526%2BLaura%2BDavis%2BDual%2BAutograph-%2BBack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="517" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_p-2U_RYNEc/W1zVEQgSi-I/AAAAAAAABlw/yFqqUCuZ8Qgzjngp3_71bMfJryduBKgJgCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2005%2BBenchwarmer%2BAJ%2BAlmasi%2B%2526%2BLaura%2BDavis%2BDual%2BAutograph-%2BBack.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backside..</td></tr>
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Always scan the backs, because they are the gift that keeps on giving!<br />
<br />
Haha, anyway, thank you Gavin! As of my June shipments, I finally have all the trade bait I picked up for you & others last year on COMC in-hand (so many Christmas cards!), so I expect we'll be trading again soon. Hopefully it won't take me 18 months to get send stuff your way this time.<br />
<br />
That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Until our next...</i></div>
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Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-12286614524333172742018-07-27T21:01:00.000-07:002018-08-22T14:27:52.616-07:00Blog Bat Around: Pick 5This month's Blog Bat Around topic comes courtesy of <b><i><u><a href="http://betterthanbeckett.blogspot.com/2018/07/pick-only-5.html" target="_blank">It's Like Having My Own Card Shop</a></u></i></b>, and sense of general malaise effecting many-a-card-blogger these days. So the question is, if I can only keep five specific card collections, what would they be?<br />
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The first four were actually fairly easy for me, because I've thought seriously about downsizing frequently in recent years. Five was a tricky one though, and I am admittedly cheating all over the list. My sketch card collection is made of numerous specific sub-collections therein, I could convert small parts of certain collections that don't make the list to fit the second pick, and picks three and five are multiple, related collections under a single banner. But eh, it's my list. So let's get on with it then.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ijRPlFP1BN4/W33S6hFcrxI/AAAAAAAACZM/-C7__UHDbeMi91Y1XB8SojRVhRn6h8fxwCLcBGAs/s1600/001%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="508" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ijRPlFP1BN4/W33S6hFcrxI/AAAAAAAACZM/-C7__UHDbeMi91Y1XB8SojRVhRn6h8fxwCLcBGAs/s400/001%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Supergirl by JC Fabul..</td></tr>
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1.) Sketch Cards- Probably the one and only virtually untouchable collection I own. The 12 or 13 keepers amongst 15 I currently have waiting to be bailed out of COMC lockdown might put me over the 400 mark. This is my one true (and truly expensive, even though I rarely break the bank for any one sketch) cardboard addiction. I'm an artist, I love (primarily comic) original art, and I don't have enough space or money to own nearly as much as I'd like. So sketch cards are basically the most perfect possible thing for me. I think I found out about them in 2007 or 2008 and I almost instantly fell in love. If I had to drop all but <i>one</i> collection, this is what I'd keep. No question.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pa_Voijl6n0/W33TRinuInI/AAAAAAAACZU/c6SKBtqFxE095dCSjRkK6H9uHF-Z2Bd1QCLcBGAs/s1600/003%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pa_Voijl6n0/W33TRinuInI/AAAAAAAACZU/c6SKBtqFxE095dCSjRkK6H9uHF-Z2Bd1QCLcBGAs/s400/003%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pop Century Kristen Renton/Emilio Rivera dual auto..</td></tr>
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2.) Random Non-Sport/Other Sport Autographs- I think maybe it's just the thrill of the hunt with these. You can get some pretty decent names for surprisingly little coin sometimes, and every new score tickles the back of my brain. It's just pure fun, untamed, lead with your Id collecting. No real plan. Just see a cool addition for a good price and buy it. I quite like that.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NAWGOdqmVko/W33Uq8S0VRI/AAAAAAAACZg/mzROQ9eZk0g3jeuYmwhmRbpVes_hKXg8wCLcBGAs/s1600/2016%2BTopps%2BWWE%2BEve%2BTorres%2BGold%2BParallel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NAWGOdqmVko/W33Uq8S0VRI/AAAAAAAACZg/mzROQ9eZk0g3jeuYmwhmRbpVes_hKXg8wCLcBGAs/s400/2016%2BTopps%2BWWE%2BEve%2BTorres%2BGold%2BParallel.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eve Torres gold parallel #'ed /10..</td></tr>
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3.) Main Wresting PCs (Booker T, Eve Torres, Sarita/"Dark Angel" Sarah Stock)- As one of my earliest loves, not collecting more wrestling cards will likely go down as one of my great collecting regrets. These are the only collections I've been able to put considerable time and effort into, and I have no desire to give them up. Dakota Kai may be on this list someday as well (I saw a whole mess of signed stickers on her Instagram story the other day, and I am <i>PSYCHED</i>), but yeah.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aw275-P1hKY/W320n2voJWI/AAAAAAAACRs/bNd9iMnNMa411isTtOzi1fYBdz0b03smQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Topps%2BLegacies%2Bof%2BBaseball%2BFergie%2BJenkins%2BVault%2BMetals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aw275-P1hKY/W320n2voJWI/AAAAAAAACRs/bNd9iMnNMa411isTtOzi1fYBdz0b03smQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/Topps%2BLegacies%2Bof%2BBaseball%2BFergie%2BJenkins%2BVault%2BMetals.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vault Metals #'ed /135..</td></tr>
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4.) Fergie Jenkins PC- I wouldn't necessarily say this is my most favorite major sports collection, but it's the one where I feel like I have something to prove. To own a copy of every card released of Fergie during his playing career is one of my only real completionist collection goals, and I can't part with it. At least not until I've succeeded. Plus, he has a ton of fun modern stuff like the gorgeous Vault Metals above (and his autos are often very affordable) to chase to distract from the relative monotony of hunting for vintage & oddballs & such.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E7FJq1Gs0Vc/W33VSdi0eEI/AAAAAAAACZw/YG9YIvRGhrc-gNizaW3R83La3PPM9p_iACLcBGAs/s1600/081%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E7FJq1Gs0Vc/W33VSdi0eEI/AAAAAAAACZw/YG9YIvRGhrc-gNizaW3R83La3PPM9p_iACLcBGAs/s400/081%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She-Hulk PMG #'ed /100..</td></tr>
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5.) Comic Card PCs (She-Hulk and Rogue)- This was the tough one. Nothing else was quite jumping out at me like the first four. I thought just maybe higher end Marvel in general, but that's too loose and a tad difficult to define. But there's a good sized crossover between my She-Hulk (non-sketch) collection and higher end products. I have the above Precious Metal Gem from 2015 Fleer Retro Marvel and a few other items from higher end sets. As for Rogue, it's just a weird nostalgia thing. A lot of my stuff of her is from the '90s, and I've always regretted never being able to afford all those sweet early & mid-'90s comic packs they had at the grocery store back in the day.<br />
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So there you have it. The, err... five-<i>ish</i> collections I'd keep if I had to dramatically shrink my collection. Thanks for stopping by! Seeya again whenever I get around to editing scans.<br />
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<i>Until our next...</i></div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-2682904600820775292018-07-22T09:09:00.000-07:002018-08-21T10:00:17.959-07:00Gearing Back UpIf you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed I'm getting a strong urge to start blogging again. I suddenly have a lot of incoming new material, and the desire to talk about it is back as well. I'll start off light right now though, because not much of the new hotness is here yet and I haven't scanned anything at all in a couple months.<br />
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So for today, it's just a couple really cool, very cheap sketch cards I picked up on eBay back in the early spring. I think it was only around $8 total for the two of them. They are both by the seller, one <a href="https://www.ebay.com/sch/collectorscrevice/m.html?item=163159500805&hash=item25fd106805%3Ag%3AE6oAAOSwkkNbIZ~U&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562" target="_blank"><b><i>Joshua Dyson</i></b></a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5xrjrOc8pGQ/W3xEanVsEUI/AAAAAAAACKc/fJfjHhfNxbsxmla9Wt8Og8F45Vpx9LuaACEwYBhgL/s1600/Bayley%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BJoshua%2BDyson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5xrjrOc8pGQ/W3xEanVsEUI/AAAAAAAACKc/fJfjHhfNxbsxmla9Wt8Og8F45Vpx9LuaACEwYBhgL/s400/Bayley%2BSketch%2BCard%2Bby%2BJoshua%2BDyson.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Bayley..</span></td></tr>
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First up is WWE star Bayley. The wacky wavy inflatable tube men in the background were a brilliant touch on this sketch. Anyway, WWE has almost completely squandered the unbelievably amazing character work that made her probably the biggest star NXT had ever made to that point on the main roster almost from the jump, but anyone with a functioning brain had to figure that was gonna happen (see Wyatt, Bray). She's awesome and I still believe in her though.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CWK3_CGsGRQ/W3xEnopiVhI/AAAAAAAACKo/519nIfLIInAKqso2W3j97Fl-xuGHmhQogCEwYBhgL/s1600/Ms.%2BMarvel%2BKamala%2BKhan%2BPSC%2Bby%2BJoshua%2BDyson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="506" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CWK3_CGsGRQ/W3xEnopiVhI/AAAAAAAACKo/519nIfLIInAKqso2W3j97Fl-xuGHmhQogCEwYBhgL/s400/Ms.%2BMarvel%2BKamala%2BKhan%2BPSC%2Bby%2BJoshua%2BDyson.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ms. Marvel II (Kamala Khan)..</td></tr>
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The older I get, the less time I have for angsty, sad sack superheroes with pointlessly tragic backstories. So Kamala just spoke to me immediately, and I've been squirreling together a little collection of her ever since. This is my second sketch card (not counting the one I drew myself), and I also have two 3x5" index card sketches (also from eBay, also pretty cheap), and a couple inserts and a magenta printing plate from various Upper Deck products. Also I think I might have a button of her?<br />
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Anyway, as you can see, these are relatively simple sketches. But there is a lot to like about them. The large variance in thickness of the lines shows some very clear confidence in inking that I don't even have myself after more than a decade of being back at my drawing board. That the lines are still rather bold even at their thinnest gives the artist's style a fairly unique voice and makes the mostly flat colors really pop. It gives them a very cool, cartoony vibe.<br />
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I also appreciate the relative rarity of the subjects. There's plenty of stuff of Bayley out there to collect now, but her autographs & relic cards & action figures & such often aren't often in my price range, and the opportunity to own original art of wrestlers is much, much harder to come by, especially cheap.<br />
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Kamala's been around long enough now for her to show up in a few licensed sets & on the sketch cards therein occasionally (she also has one of the very best Marvel Legends figures in recent memory, which I also own), but there's still just not that much stuff available. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of non-licensed original art out there of her either, be it sketch cards or larger work, so I gotta jump on what I can find.<br />
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So yeah, these were a couple excellent finds and I'm grateful I was able to pick them up for so little coin. Thanks, Joshua. I hope you're out there somewhere still creating art.<br />
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That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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<i>Until our next...</i></div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-40667485850360710392018-04-23T05:00:00.000-07:002018-08-22T14:08:33.174-07:00Blog Bat Around- All-Autograph TeamTime for another fun new installment of the Blog Bat Around. This time it's the all-autograph team, as originated by ol' <b><i><u><a href="http://cervinupcards.blogspot.com/2018/04/bat-blog-around-my-all-autograph-team.html" target="_blank">Zippy Zappy</a></u></i></b>. I wanted to do a full 25 man roster, but the lack of pitchers in my collection & available scans of a couple of the bench bats I do have means I'll have to cut it a little short. With that said, here we go.<br />
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C- Kyle Schwarber</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j0HRUT4J4a8/W33JDL0bwdI/AAAAAAAACWs/Dt0jMjrLQs4he3YV8MM6Fu1BQdVRYnfowCLcBGAs/s1600/2015%2BPanini%2BContenders%2BKyle%2BSchwarber%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j0HRUT4J4a8/W33JDL0bwdI/AAAAAAAACWs/Dt0jMjrLQs4he3YV8MM6Fu1BQdVRYnfowCLcBGAs/s400/2015%2BPanini%2BContenders%2BKyle%2BSchwarber%2BAutograph.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 Contenders..</td></tr>
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This is a most unfortunate choice, but I don't have any other viable options here. I think Robinson Chirinos might literally be the only catcher autograph I own, and while he is a good defender with underrated pop, he is still a career backup. So, Schwarbs it is...<br />
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1B- Jose Abreu</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HJl-f8GjXwU/W32zV2wdslI/AAAAAAAACRY/x1y_jfR7Jv0r35h3aZEU4PMQkJrPzBQOACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2017%2BDonruss%2BJose%2BAbreu%2BAutograph%2BBlue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="515" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HJl-f8GjXwU/W32zV2wdslI/AAAAAAAACRY/x1y_jfR7Jv0r35h3aZEU4PMQkJrPzBQOACPcBGAYYCw/s400/2017%2BDonruss%2BJose%2BAbreu%2BAutograph%2BBlue.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2017 Donruss Blue /149..</td></tr>
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I have at least a solid half-dozen (Rizzo, Delgado, Grace, Abreu, Thames, & Derrek Lee) good options at first, but Abreu gets the nod because he's the one that I could find a scan of. This whole post might look very different if I was a more diligent scanner who hadn't lost multiple computers before I could take the important stuff off them. Anyway, you'll be seeing the other guy who was scanned as my DH choice on down the post.<br />
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2B- Robinson Cano</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LgFelwup-4k/W33JraJ_7HI/AAAAAAAACW0/imDV789e9gI-BYC3jyvObzWDEZ8_TtXSgCLcBGAs/s1600/2016%2BTopps%2BStadium%2BClub%2BRobinson%2BCano%2BLone%2BStar%2BSignatures%2BGold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="703" height="290" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LgFelwup-4k/W33JraJ_7HI/AAAAAAAACW0/imDV789e9gI-BYC3jyvObzWDEZ8_TtXSgCLcBGAs/s400/2016%2BTopps%2BStadium%2BClub%2BRobinson%2BCano%2BLone%2BStar%2BSignatures%2BGold.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stadium Club Lone Star Signatures /10..</td></tr>
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I picked up an autographed Ryne Sandberg photo for $10 (it was from some signing at a riverboat casino in the early aughts iirc, and the place had a whole stack of them) at our short-lived and awesomely-named (Heroes Never Die) card shop back during the six months it existed, but I don't appear to have a scan of it on-hand anymore, and honestly, Cano has surpassed him at this point, so Robbie gets the nod.<br />
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SS- Corey Seager</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--seul_dg5zU/W33KD-bnJwI/AAAAAAAACXA/0jPJHwuAVIMLmttRU6y94C8qlYW3hx-QQCLcBGAs/s1600/2016%2BPanini%2BDiamond%2BKings%2BCorey%2BSeager%2BSketches%2B%2526%2BSwatches%2BAutograph%2BPatch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="514" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--seul_dg5zU/W33KD-bnJwI/AAAAAAAACXA/0jPJHwuAVIMLmttRU6y94C8qlYW3hx-QQCLcBGAs/s400/2016%2BPanini%2BDiamond%2BKings%2BCorey%2BSeager%2BSketches%2B%2526%2BSwatches%2BAutograph%2BPatch.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2016 Diamond Kings Sketches & Swatches auto/patch /10..</td></tr>
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Another position I'm sorely lacking in, but fortunately I have this one epic, discount blaster-pulled monster of a young superstar to fall back on (at least until Gavin blows me away with an offer). I think my only other option at short is Nick Gordon, who is still in the minors in the Twins organization.</div>
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3B- Aramis Ramirez</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-42GyfAxLLIE/W33KZKljbjI/AAAAAAAACXI/q7hy_OHLxKI8Ny2uehjKCAM5bDX0NB3pwCLcBGAs/s1600/2013%2BPanini%2BPrizm%2BAramis%2BRamirez%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-42GyfAxLLIE/W33KZKljbjI/AAAAAAAACXI/q7hy_OHLxKI8Ny2uehjKCAM5bDX0NB3pwCLcBGAs/s400/2013%2BPanini%2BPrizm%2BAramis%2BRamirez%2BAutograph.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2013 Prizm..</td></tr>
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This card is almost certainly fugliest Aramis Ramirez auto I own in a walk, but it was the one that was scanned. He's easily my strongest option at 3B regardless, being a borderline Hall of Famer & all. Yangervis Solarte, Josh Harrison, and Javy Baez would be my other options here, but I don't have Solarte or Baez scans handy, and they're all better suited as Utility infielder options anyway, which is where you will find Harrison if you keep reading.<br />
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LF- Yoenis Cespedes</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2r0YYNJOOfs/W33JDOQzi7I/AAAAAAAACWw/hO8uM9PkGzofxPZFxZx8nuCJvxHd-7xewCEwYBhgL/s1600/2014%2BPanini%2BNational%2BTreasures%2BYoenis%2BCespedes%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="703" height="288" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2r0YYNJOOfs/W33JDOQzi7I/AAAAAAAACWw/hO8uM9PkGzofxPZFxZx8nuCJvxHd-7xewCEwYBhgL/s400/2014%2BPanini%2BNational%2BTreasures%2BYoenis%2BCespedes%2BAutograph.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 National Treasures /25..</td></tr>
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I have no shortage of corner outfield depth, particularly in left field. Billy Williams, Alfonso Soriano, and Yoenis Cespedes (and Albert Belle, who, to continue the theme, was scanned but said scan is no longer available) are all mashers, but I'm going with Cespedes, because he's the best defender of the bunch.<br />
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CF- Andruw Jones</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BBxkxz5tkOE/W33LlP0VP_I/AAAAAAAACX4/aQf1NRRSGpgau2UCvAO3SuZNHLwK-gltgCLcBGAs/s1600/2001%2BFleer%2BPlatinum%2BAndruw%2BJones%2B1997%2BCirca%2BRack%2BPack%2BBuyback%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BBxkxz5tkOE/W33LlP0VP_I/AAAAAAAACX4/aQf1NRRSGpgau2UCvAO3SuZNHLwK-gltgCLcBGAs/s400/2001%2BFleer%2BPlatinum%2BAndruw%2BJones%2B1997%2BCirca%2BRack%2BPack%2BBuyback%2BAutograph.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2001 Fleer Platinum '97 Circa Rack Pack Buyback Autograph /200..</td></tr>
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Andruw Jones was another easy choice, due to lack of depth (an Austin Jackson that isn't in my possession yet or playing George Springer or Jason Heyward out of position in center were my only other options here). You can't go wrong with one of the greatest defensive centerfielders of all-time, and this new arrival is a fantastic centerpiece for his Single Page Sensation collection.<br />
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RF- <span style="text-align: center;">George Springer</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vJkH3tISHcY/W33MaHKSKQI/AAAAAAAACYk/vlm7DtwqdfMAqUZWYvcDm-WXDHDVCgaGACLcBGAs/s1600/2015%2BTopps%2BHigh%2BTek%2BGeorge%2BSpringer%2BTidal%2BDiffractor%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="510" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vJkH3tISHcY/W33MaHKSKQI/AAAAAAAACYk/vlm7DtwqdfMAqUZWYvcDm-WXDHDVCgaGACLcBGAs/s400/2015%2BTopps%2BHigh%2BTek%2BGeorge%2BSpringer%2BTidal%2BDiffractor%2BAutograph.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 High Tek Tidal Diffractor /99..</td></tr>
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We're going with Springer in right field, which has been his primary position in the majors, which he defends brilliantly. I would probably have gone with Frank Robinson here if I still had the scans, but I'm quite content with this pick. I got this for under $7 juuuust before he started to blew up last year.<br />
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DH- Carlos Delgado</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FJftFBJpvcM/W33LtxTK5MI/AAAAAAAACYc/7KJhW02h0fE4jmLVXZgshQiI3TwcuwSgACEwYBhgL/s1600/2015%2BTopps%2BHigh%2BTek%2BCarlos%2BDelgado%2BGold%2BDiffractor%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="518" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FJftFBJpvcM/W33LtxTK5MI/AAAAAAAACYc/7KJhW02h0fE4jmLVXZgshQiI3TwcuwSgACEwYBhgL/s400/2015%2BTopps%2BHigh%2BTek%2BCarlos%2BDelgado%2BGold%2BDiffractor%2BAutograph.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High Tek Gold Diffractor /50..</td></tr>
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As mentioned above, my only other scanned powerhouse first baseman has to be my DH, and that man is Carlos Delgado.<br />
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UT1- Ben Zobrist</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GuSiyD0ikQY/W33LodpKjdI/AAAAAAAACYM/ZCueFKpHTAgUp5eg-B5-1ymCVnuXw_evgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Ben%2BZobrist%2BJSA%2BAuthenticated%2BAutograph%2BTract%2BCard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="701" height="287" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GuSiyD0ikQY/W33LodpKjdI/AAAAAAAACYM/ZCueFKpHTAgUp5eg-B5-1ymCVnuXw_evgCEwYBhgL/s400/Ben%2BZobrist%2BJSA%2BAuthenticated%2BAutograph%2BTract%2BCard.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tract... Card?!</td></tr>
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The card itself is far weirder than the choice to put him on my team. Having a super utility player is a fantastic luxury, and Zobrist is the best in the business. As for the card, COMC called something to the effect of a "Personal Issue Tract God", and that's exactly what it is. There's a huge wall of religious nonsense on the back, along with a JSA authentication sticker (it also came with a separate COA). Weird but cool, I guess. And more importantly, cheap. I was never much of a fan of organized religion, and I don't know how anyone could be these days with the way conservatives have completely perverted Christianity into a religion of hatred and discrimination. But I digress...</div>
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UT2- Josh Harrison</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YabJawgFAUw/W33K_N9hWPI/AAAAAAAACXs/55OAoEGsrTQWkzSu_8A_kDD0fgQYnwsAwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Josh%2BHarrison%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YabJawgFAUw/W33K_N9hWPI/AAAAAAAACXs/55OAoEGsrTQWkzSu_8A_kDD0fgQYnwsAwCEwYBhgL/s400/Josh%2BHarrison%2BAutograph.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 Topps Supreme..</td></tr>
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Josh Harrison is a solid, versatile all-around player. I'd still put Javy here and save either Josh or Yangervis (maybe both) for the end of my bench, but again, no scans... *le sigh*<br />
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SP 1- Fergie Jenkins</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aAC59nXkH5o/W33QGVC3k8I/AAAAAAAACY4/izPh4rl9NskkbefJbXHhrQa3TC-rECG-wCLcBGAs/s1600/Topps%2BSupreme%2BFergie%2BJenkins%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="519" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aAC59nXkH5o/W33QGVC3k8I/AAAAAAAACY4/izPh4rl9NskkbefJbXHhrQa3TC-rECG-wCLcBGAs/s400/Topps%2BSupreme%2BFergie%2BJenkins%2BAutograph.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2013 Topps Supreme /50..</td></tr>
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I doubt Fergie Jenkins being the ace of my staff will come as a surprise to anyone. I have somehow managed to accumulate double digit autographs of him, and that completely blows my mind.<br />
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SP 2- Chris Sale</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kYYOGQ2j8lM/W33L8ViyWPI/AAAAAAAACYc/hRqW0DMn5BYCBG-xWENupUONabjGUc6hACEwYBhgL/s1600/009%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="515" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kYYOGQ2j8lM/W33L8ViyWPI/AAAAAAAACYc/hRqW0DMn5BYCBG-xWENupUONabjGUc6hACEwYBhgL/s400/009%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 Topps Supreme eBay 1/1..</td></tr>
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It's always nice when you can field two legitimate aces. Sales autos have finally gone up & out of my range in the past couple years, but I think I scored this collection centerpiece for a cool $7.</div>
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SP 3- Taijuan Walker<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mpf48crMyQE/W33K_EoW7SI/AAAAAAAACXo/u4nHF_69Dy8psardibkxu8w0hFUM8hQhgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Leaf%2BMemories%2BTaijuan%2BWalker%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="509" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mpf48crMyQE/W33K_EoW7SI/AAAAAAAACXo/u4nHF_69Dy8psardibkxu8w0hFUM8hQhgCEwYBhgL/s400/Leaf%2BMemories%2BTaijuan%2BWalker%2BAutograph.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2013 Leaf Memories..</td></tr>
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Taijaun seemed to finally be putting it all together in the desert, but he's probably out until the second half of 2019 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May. So as I rebuild my photo album & reinsert them into posts in late-August, I hunted up another inconsistent, injury-prone young starter with all-world potential to add to the post.</div>
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SP 4- Carlos Rodon<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1yFLWVMo5LY/W33Lz7xhQBI/AAAAAAAACYY/uSXnybaVOwI0g8UDSJwnDb0-Ng6UaNQFQCEwYBhgL/s1600/001%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="502" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1yFLWVMo5LY/W33Lz7xhQBI/AAAAAAAACYY/uSXnybaVOwI0g8UDSJwnDb0-Ng6UaNQFQCEwYBhgL/s400/001%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boom!</td></tr>
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Unfortunately, while I can field a full staff and a competent swingman, I still have to cut it off here and jump straight to the end of the bullpen, because both Jerry Koosman and my swingman Matt Shoemaker are lacking a scan, RA Dickey isn't even in my possession yet, and I just don't really have anyone else to fill out my relief corps.</div>
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RP 1- Wade Davis</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5AmizNBVv2k/W323xODEtlI/AAAAAAAACSw/f2oVW6JyJzQRqM7fPknhmRYuwljpaMbZwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/2017%2BTopps%2BFire%2BWade%2BDavis%2BAutograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5AmizNBVv2k/W323xODEtlI/AAAAAAAACSw/f2oVW6JyJzQRqM7fPknhmRYuwljpaMbZwCPcBGAYYCw/s400/2017%2BTopps%2BFire%2BWade%2BDavis%2BAutograph.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2017 Topps Fire /250..</td></tr>
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Davis was only with the Cubs for one season, but he left a great enough impression on me to gleefully grab this foily Fire auto when it dropped to under $5.</div>
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RP 2- Bruce Sutter</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F6wpPUfghUg/W33MDdH2EeI/AAAAAAAACYg/2EQuHTLwp00J-lPgnxSrSUNqVo5xs8hxACEwYBhgL/s1600/037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="515" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F6wpPUfghUg/W33MDdH2EeI/AAAAAAAACYg/2EQuHTLwp00J-lPgnxSrSUNqVo5xs8hxACEwYBhgL/s400/037.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Topps Retired..</td></tr>
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The back end of my bullpen is on lock with Sutter, Davis, & if I had the scan handy, Lee Smith (shame, since it's a somewhat interesting card and I actually it pulled myself). I'm not even naming a closer amongst those three. I'm fully confident with any of them, and Sutter & Smith being from a bygone era, can both regularly go multiple innings if need be. Maybe I don't even need any middle relief!<br />
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And that be that. I think it's a pretty darn good squad, outside of my utterly atrocious catching situation (and literally not being able to field any middle relievers *cough*). Anyway, thanks, as always, for stopping by!<br />
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<i>Until our next...</i></div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-25742176780937788452018-03-29T19:38:00.000-07:002018-08-22T11:19:59.280-07:00Prize Winnins!I won a cool thing on Twitter early last week. It was a blaster (minus one Yadi insert) of 2018 Topps Series 1 that was apparently an unclaimed prize in one of <i><b><a href="https://twitter.com/cardsoncards" target="_blank">Kerry</a></b></i>'s annual pick 'em contests on his <a href="https://cardsoncards.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><u><i><b>venerable blog</b></i></u></a>. To win, you just had to guess the player on the bonus manufactured relic, and I did the thing!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l6wGQ0Bkn8A/W32f7HnhLVI/AAAAAAAACMk/ZHyXXxR0gAoqMHTZU3J9ocbqqsMP8rUdwCEwYBhgL/s1600/001%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="717" height="286" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l6wGQ0Bkn8A/W32f7HnhLVI/AAAAAAAACMk/ZHyXXxR0gAoqMHTZU3J9ocbqqsMP8rUdwCEwYBhgL/s400/001%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Players Weekend Manupatch!</td></tr>
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This is the closest thing to a Kris Bryant hit I own. I still don't even have any #'ed cards of him yet. I find it funny that they felt the need to note on the front that it's not a player worn item when it's clearly not even made of fabric. I can't tell for sure if it's metal or plastic, but commemorative pin or medallion feels like a more accurate description for it. It sorta reminds me of the couple Pokemon pins that were in various boxes when I went on a lil Pokemon card kick last summer.<br />
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Anyway, here's a look at some of the other stuff the blaster had to offer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ld8Yust452g/W32f6BREkNI/AAAAAAAACM8/HmPHiV4ZQGQiqZUEKNtI2v8tKUMLFIeWQCEwYBhgL/s1600/001%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="1004" height="456" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ld8Yust452g/W32f6BREkNI/AAAAAAAACM8/HmPHiV4ZQGQiqZUEKNtI2v8tKUMLFIeWQCEwYBhgL/s640/001%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot the difference..</td></tr>
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They look virtually identical, but the card on the right is (allegedly) a gold parallel #'ed 46/50. The grayer background bits of the boxes or bricks or whatever the hell they're supposed to be are ever-so-slightly darker, though they more resemble bronze than gold to me. It's so absurdly subtle that it's ultimately pretty pointless and lame. Like I said, I genuinely couldn't even tell the difference until <a href="https://twitter.com/JunkWaxTwins" target="_blank"><u><i><b>@JunkWaxTwins</b></i></u></a> pointed it out to me on the twerting machine.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J2UCDUZM1Gk/W32gFn7QO6I/AAAAAAAACM0/vfYoFuwuA1A9kAjizhk3fnXoS08nqSmQgCEwYBhgL/s1600/002%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="1002" height="456" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J2UCDUZM1Gk/W32gFn7QO6I/AAAAAAAACM0/vfYoFuwuA1A9kAjizhk3fnXoS08nqSmQgCEwYBhgL/s640/002%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's true, I swear!</td></tr>
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So yeah, it doesn't look like much, but it is what it is. Certainly a lower numbered card than you'd normally pull out of a blaster of almost anything, so I guess it could be worse. I offered it up to Julie on Twitter but never heard back, so call ya shot if you want it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a6Z_CC4kr9U/W32f6qmSJLI/AAAAAAAACMg/DqNb-k-KP58OEjh3KKNNdYjI3uliqDWSwCEwYBhgL/s1600/001%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="1004" height="452" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a6Z_CC4kr9U/W32f6qmSJLI/AAAAAAAACMg/DqNb-k-KP58OEjh3KKNNdYjI3uliqDWSwCEwYBhgL/s640/001%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25285%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Opening Day inserts..</td></tr>
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There were a whole mess of Opening Day inserts. Seven total, I believe (Khris Davis & Eric Thames not appearing today, but Thames already has a home in mind if I don't choose to keep it). And I literally just noticed as I'm putting this post together that the above Machado is a blue parallel. It's less subtle than the gold, but I completely missed it. The blue insert parallels are not numbered and, according to the internet, fall 1:12 packs. There were three, from three different sets, in the blaster.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MFqg_wgJDyI/W32f6FQW-fI/AAAAAAAACM8/yk17wEBTsccA0od4LC2_Q8tx2DocnwV4wCEwYBhgL/s1600/001%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MFqg_wgJDyI/W32f6FQW-fI/AAAAAAAACM8/yk17wEBTsccA0od4LC2_Q8tx2DocnwV4wCEwYBhgL/s400/001%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25284%2529.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All Rise..</td></tr>
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Judge and Bellinger both showed up in the blaster as well, both with an insert and a base card...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BvKItWI4Vng/W32h6acGXwI/AAAAAAAACNM/a4wFJa0SniAXV9KAr6Ucjfa5Vm8HD9oSQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Bellinger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="709" height="282" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BvKItWI4Vng/W32h6acGXwI/AAAAAAAACNM/a4wFJa0SniAXV9KAr6Ucjfa5Vm8HD9oSQCEwYBhgL/s400/Bellinger.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No cool nickname that I know of..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
...but Bellinger got the shaft on the insert front. These things are atrociously stupid & hideous looking.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EAC-k404_ms/W32gS4SyweI/AAAAAAAACM8/ynVNehrQoIsCJJQLvYei6pQVoaC0GznNgCEwYBhgL/s1600/008%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="1004" height="451" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EAC-k404_ms/W32gS4SyweI/AAAAAAAACM8/ynVNehrQoIsCJJQLvYei6pQVoaC0GznNgCEwYBhgL/s640/008%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The base..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The relative symmetry in their base cards is pleasing to the eye, though they'd be a few pages apart in a bindered up set, being cards #1 & 42. Still though, useful for blogging purposes.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2lQNKPet3eQ/W32gKV3LbDI/AAAAAAAACM8/KU-g-hLC_IspxwuUOhO44km7wodIRwwSgCEwYBhgL/s1600/004%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="1000" height="457" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2lQNKPet3eQ/W32gKV3LbDI/AAAAAAAACM8/KU-g-hLC_IspxwuUOhO44km7wodIRwwSgCEwYBhgL/s640/004%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enough with the Jeter retrospectives already, Sooz!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Back to the inserts. Here's another blue parallel from the obscenely pointless Jeter Highlights insert set. It looks a little nicer than the base at least. There were four of these, counting the parallel.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wwcGodnRHeg/W32gKY702NI/AAAAAAAACNE/7HFJw_NVNJUOaiULmv38MH6JHNO8VeEBgCEwYBhgL/s1600/004%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="1013" height="451" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wwcGodnRHeg/W32gKY702NI/AAAAAAAACNE/7HFJw_NVNJUOaiULmv38MH6JHNO8VeEBgCEwYBhgL/s640/004%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally, a nice looking insert set!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The above Miguel Cabrera was the third blue parallel. This is far & away the nicest looking insert that came from the blaster. It's also where I'm told the one Yadi insert Kerry kept is from. So counting that I believe there were also four of these as well (Chris Sale is the one not pictured here). I'm not sure if I'll be keeping the KB or not. I pulled one from my tiny handful of loose packs earlier in the year, but it seems like it might've been a blue parallel, which I didn't know existed until I had to look them up when this arrived.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hhkkq8qVFj8/W32f-DmiMpI/AAAAAAAACNE/b6w0l6sCaTAbXSz5Z8_p5D7Z-5ANg6eWgCEwYBhgL/s1600/003%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="502" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hhkkq8qVFj8/W32f-DmiMpI/AAAAAAAACNE/b6w0l6sCaTAbXSz5Z8_p5D7Z-5ANg6eWgCEwYBhgL/s400/003%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actually kinda like the look of this one..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And here are the rest. Not much to say about any of this. It's all available though.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_O3iAWBRyz4/W32f-ATW9cI/AAAAAAAACMk/TNiaaSiYoSoLg8IFIXPgAIiPL1bmsgyfACEwYBhgL/s1600/003%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="1020" height="449" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_O3iAWBRyz4/W32f-ATW9cI/AAAAAAAACMk/TNiaaSiYoSoLg8IFIXPgAIiPL1bmsgyfACEwYBhgL/s640/003%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The obligatory '83 throwbacks..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm still mad these have glossy backs. I wanted to draw on the backs of them!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c96_khChXOo/W32gG80q0XI/AAAAAAAACM8/i8QQBOnHzFc17YAWpcTYpAQUcDRnGFFiQCEwYBhgL/s1600/003%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="504" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c96_khChXOo/W32gG80q0XI/AAAAAAAACM8/i8QQBOnHzFc17YAWpcTYpAQUcDRnGFFiQCEwYBhgL/s400/003%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are pretty nice..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's a nice enough design. Definitely a lot better than the Opening Day for multi-photo inserts. Not a fan of the player at all though (Update as I re-up all my photos in late-August: He's now a Cub 🤣).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z2hgwbldvKg/W32f-r0_yxI/AAAAAAAACM8/D5mI6_-1bgU52uL-XGlsfd8yPqy1qy6xQCEwYBhgL/s1600/003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="1504" height="304" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z2hgwbldvKg/W32f-r0_yxI/AAAAAAAACM8/D5mI6_-1bgU52uL-XGlsfd8yPqy1qy6xQCEwYBhgL/s640/003.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salute your shorts..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This year's Salute inserts aren't great, but at least they look like something approaching an actual insert set instead of a rejected, below average base design this time. They do, to my eye, bear a passing resemblance to the Award Winners above, however (and these look worse).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yKk6dPTAas0/W32f6AekUhI/AAAAAAAACMU/SPysm4PjKLIXxb6OKrvXKXNvJU7EC-08wCEwYBhgL/s1600/001%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yKk6dPTAas0/W32f6AekUhI/AAAAAAAACMU/SPysm4PjKLIXxb6OKrvXKXNvJU7EC-08wCEwYBhgL/s400/001%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Future me: wrong again. He's been a disaster this year..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The final insert we have to talk about is this Home Run Challenge thing. There's a good chance Sano will hit a few this year. The trick is guessing when it'll happen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6he5Vo2mkwA/W32f-CzJQAI/AAAAAAAACMg/OjcIhJhJRlUQYm3ZCckE7V3TIzoJRmJlgCEwYBhgL/s1600/003%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6he5Vo2mkwA/W32f-CzJQAI/AAAAAAAACMg/OjcIhJhJRlUQYm3ZCckE7V3TIzoJRmJlgCEwYBhgL/s400/003%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foil parallel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The only base parallel was this foil <strike>Lach</strike>... Zach Davies. I like the design a lot more than anyone else that I know of, but yeah, that the damn waterslide partially covering the players' first names knocks it all the way down from a borderline all-timer to just average.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IiD6SLpvvKE/W32gSxkPklI/AAAAAAAACNA/atIt5q5kSLYvH6Y55IIdY4ssrTg0geSmACEwYBhgL/s1600/006%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="513" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IiD6SLpvvKE/W32gSxkPklI/AAAAAAAACNA/atIt5q5kSLYvH6Y55IIdY4ssrTg0geSmACEwYBhgL/s400/006%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This year's most hyped rookie..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There were tons of RCs in this, and Rhys lead the way. Other notable names to show up were Amed Rosario, Victor Robles, Max Fried, Austin Hays, Richard Urena, & Alex Verdugo.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g6uEZZWVpZg/W32gWg-gQoI/AAAAAAAACNE/K4ahh2jYdBUB1Vzts4y881A662fSPZ_HgCEwYBhgL/s1600/007%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="1002" height="456" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g6uEZZWVpZg/W32gWg-gQoI/AAAAAAAACNE/K4ahh2jYdBUB1Vzts4y881A662fSPZ_HgCEwYBhgL/s640/007%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photography!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here are my favorite photos from the base cards in the blaster. Intensity and contemplation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XDANvXXtEVo/W32gUyUe7XI/AAAAAAAACNA/PBFftyyMwaUWD2Deau6EKrjNNLFgXGAbQCEwYBhgL/s1600/008%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="511" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XDANvXXtEVo/W32gUyUe7XI/AAAAAAAACNA/PBFftyyMwaUWD2Deau6EKrjNNLFgXGAbQCEwYBhgL/s400/008%2B-%2BCopy%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This card is ridiculous..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And we'll end it on this, my lone base keeper. There were five base Cubs, but no one I'm very attached to. So yeah, pretty much everything but the Bryants & Seattle Slayers are available. Thanks for stopping by!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Until our next...</i></div>
Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1204153040482550785.post-37496462197203002342018-03-28T18:13:00.000-07:002018-08-22T11:32:44.266-07:00Sketch Cards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YHKw5VxCOCY/W32qEHHC_pI/AAAAAAAACOg/EOXF44AMjd8w0VPknt-vIEiITaZo8wvxQCEwYBhgL/s1600/moana-sketch-card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YHKw5VxCOCY/W32qEHHC_pI/AAAAAAAACOg/EOXF44AMjd8w0VPknt-vIEiITaZo8wvxQCEwYBhgL/s1600/moana-sketch-card.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Moana from last year I finally got around to coloring..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It's funny (in a tiresome way) how people suddenly disappear whenever I state a desire to make money with my art, even when it's just to try to make a few bucks because I'm always completely broke by the end of every month (and often well before). Nevertheless, I persist. Making a little art here & there is all I have the energy for. Perhaps spurred on by exceptionally the dire straights my checkbook is in at the end of this month, I've had a little more energy for it than usual. Of course no one is going to pony up the $10 I'm asking for one of these (honestly, given the time it takes and the quality I can pretty consistently touch these days, they're worth 2-3 times that [and that'd just put me at earning minimum wage in a state with a slightly below average minimum wage]) in time for it to make a difference this month. But anyway, they're done, and I'm not entirely displeased by them. So take a gander, if you would. They're available for sale of trade.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UffleL8I7Dw/W32qK1PPICI/AAAAAAAACOg/0ju-kkS4NhM4fPBbLZXPlw7ofOGxH-T6gCEwYBhgL/s1600/raven-sketch-card%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UffleL8I7Dw/W32qK1PPICI/AAAAAAAACOg/0ju-kkS4NhM4fPBbLZXPlw7ofOGxH-T6gCEwYBhgL/s1600/raven-sketch-card%2B%25282%2529.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raven..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There's probably at least one a Raven in most bunches of sketch cards I reel off, but this is easily the second best attempt at drawing her I've ever done.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f1VASobaToQ/W32qSdOKBgI/AAAAAAAACOo/0uodj2V88jQLK4qeTJhLN66LFtJItnJ7wCEwYBhgL/s1600/snake-eyes-sketch-card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f1VASobaToQ/W32qSdOKBgI/AAAAAAAACOo/0uodj2V88jQLK4qeTJhLN66LFtJItnJ7wCEwYBhgL/s1600/snake-eyes-sketch-card.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snake Eyes..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I don't really have much to say about Snake Eyes. The shading just turned out really nice. Arguably the best of the entire bunch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-48TnN25YPHo/W32p4uJrGLI/AAAAAAAACOE/g5AGADj5GYcNfwmp0pooAKuP9N70gQ38gCEwYBhgL/s1600/gray-she-hulk-sketch-card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-48TnN25YPHo/W32p4uJrGLI/AAAAAAAACOE/g5AGADj5GYcNfwmp0pooAKuP9N70gQ38gCEwYBhgL/s1600/gray-she-hulk-sketch-card.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gray She-Hulk..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I don't pay much attention to comics anymore, so I didn't realize She-Hulk had been going through some shit until recently. I think I might like the gray version better, tbh.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFJJcH8FCGs/W32p4tVDp2I/AAAAAAAACOA/daICd5yYPy4BBM3xiQ-JEbpqh3ncUDU-QCEwYBhgL/s1600/cyborg-sketch-card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFJJcH8FCGs/W32p4tVDp2I/AAAAAAAACOA/daICd5yYPy4BBM3xiQ-JEbpqh3ncUDU-QCEwYBhgL/s1600/cyborg-sketch-card.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cyborg..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I very nearly completely ruined Cyborg with the paint pen, but ultimately he might be better for it. I'm also quite fond of how the bits of cartoon Cyborg look on an otherwise basically comic booky version of him.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hH3nx0xnuHI/W32qg9w9uPI/AAAAAAAACOs/Z4kxu33QReUt0VizyXFzcU4527qETj94ACEwYBhgL/s1600/supergirl-sketch-card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hH3nx0xnuHI/W32qg9w9uPI/AAAAAAAACOs/Z4kxu33QReUt0VizyXFzcU4527qETj94ACEwYBhgL/s1600/supergirl-sketch-card.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Supergirl..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first card I drew up of this bunch, but I think only the eighth I finished. I have a growing love for the Kingdom Come-style black background on the S on her chest.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kmlDQc3lDSQ/W32p9uz2kkI/AAAAAAAACOQ/Dx2ZrMz5J9Aa2-zD3LYBvW3FxcMC5wogQCEwYBhgL/s1600/captain-marvel-sketch-card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kmlDQc3lDSQ/W32p9uz2kkI/AAAAAAAACOQ/Dx2ZrMz5J9Aa2-zD3LYBvW3FxcMC5wogQCEwYBhgL/s1600/captain-marvel-sketch-card.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captain Marvel..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And now one of the later ones I started but the first one I finished. Not much to say again. I like it, but it's not my favorite.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RGXO_S-4ZqU/W32qNdMmKLI/AAAAAAAACOg/KbGMWFVja9Upx2zDbTFyOF7wrj8ckTTGwCEwYBhgL/s1600/poison-ivy-sketch-card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RGXO_S-4ZqU/W32qNdMmKLI/AAAAAAAACOg/KbGMWFVja9Upx2zDbTFyOF7wrj8ckTTGwCEwYBhgL/s1600/poison-ivy-sketch-card.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poison Ivy..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Getting into the home stretch with the last one I actually like. I thought about, & briefly attempted to make this a Harley & Ivy puzzle, but alas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zBOxdNTVpoE/W32qHaNIQBI/AAAAAAAACOc/W0uz9iXoGtgVMbQHhMc3YnhI5YXOnN53ACEwYBhgL/s1600/nightcrawler-sketch-card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zBOxdNTVpoE/W32qHaNIQBI/AAAAAAAACOc/W0uz9iXoGtgVMbQHhMc3YnhI5YXOnN53ACEwYBhgL/s1600/nightcrawler-sketch-card.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nightcrawler..</td></tr>
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Unless I'm doing athletes, I usually traffick in girlie cards, but the dudes were respectably represented this time. I don't like how Nightcrawler himself turned out (though I don't mind it as much, looking at it as I type this right now), but the BAMFing background is alright, I guess.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2jJwbvSSIz0/W32p7t1OYxI/AAAAAAAACOM/lzo2Ur_-0osWVvT9GosFrMtlGBAWdTifgCEwYBhgL/s1600/catwoman-sketch-card%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2jJwbvSSIz0/W32p7t1OYxI/AAAAAAAACOM/lzo2Ur_-0osWVvT9GosFrMtlGBAWdTifgCEwYBhgL/s1600/catwoman-sketch-card%2B%25282%2529.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catwoman..</td></tr>
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Yeah, I dunno WTF is supposed to be going on in the background there either. I had an idea for it, but I pretty much I botched it completely. Oh well, the rest is passable enough, I guess. 🙄<br />
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And that be that. Like I said at the top, hit me up if you're interested in anything. Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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<i>Until our next...</i></div>
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Twitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536763054977401389noreply@blogger.com2