2011 Topps Allen and Ginter set review.

         Let me just start out with saying that I  L O V E D  the 2010 Topps Allen and Ginter that being said, today, July 13th 2011 marked the release of the new 2011 Topps Allen and Ginter set. The cards are Beautiful, the price of the boxes is... tolerable (roughly 100$ per box of 24 packs), the distibution of the cards throughout the box... Sucks!! In my opinion as a long time collector, there is no reason that in one box I should receive duplicates of any cards the base card set is 350 cards the last 50 cards of which are short printed which means they are placed less frequently in the packs than other cards and there is just less of them. The fact that I want to build just the base set (cards numbered 1-350) if I did not buy any single cards on ebay or in the card store I would have to AT LEAST buy 3 boxes of cards. Don't get me wrong I love opening cards but I do not love the way that Topps has gotten one over on its collectors. I witness my friend Jon open 4 boxes of this set which is 96 packs of cards @ 8 cards per pack. and STILL was unable to put even 1 complete set together. he pulled out 7 of the same insert card...7!!!!!! Absolutely ridiculous!!! I felt bad for him after he pulled the 4th duplicate but then we just got a few laughs about how stupid it was. needless to say he will be contacting Topps about the injustice.
        O.K. venting complete. I better stop before start to hate Topps, because I really don't. they have produced some great cards this year, and Ginter is a fantastic product as well it just has a few minor production/organization flaws. Lets get to the meat of it. The box that I opened really was a GREAT box as far as 'hits' were concerned. I pulled some great cards.
Set Layout:
Left: This is the standard base card from the set. Cards are great and classic looking with the last name of the player on the top left of the card and the brand name 'Allen and Ginter' in a solid color title bar along the bottom of the cards. The back of the cards are almost identicle to last years.
Top Right: Is a standard base card right?? Wrong! notice the corners of that Tulo card there are arched designs that are supposed to be part of some awesome and some ridiculosly hard to crack code throughout the entire set. There is a reward from Topps for the first person to crack it. FYI its NOT gonna be me. this is a pretty cool variation and competition for this set.
Bottom Right: This is the standard mini variation of the base card. look the same as the standard base. just smaller.

Top Left: Is the Hometown Heroes insert which is probably the most prevalent insert that one will see throughout this set. 100 card set of star players set on a cool looking card showing their hometown and state.
Bottom Left: This is one of my favorite inserts. Floating Fortresses. This set features famous battleships of the world. its a departure from the baseball players but tastefully done and draws in appeal for collectors of not just baseball cards.
Right: is an insert set of 'Minds that Made the Future' each card features a famous inventor or innovative thinker. not exactly a great subset for a baseball card set. nuff said.



The picture below shows a few of the different mini insert cards that are included in the set. including an endangered species set, 'mysterious figures' set, and even a facial hair insert set.



Now on to the real gems of the box. Each box contains 3 'hits'. my hits consisted of Derek Jeter Jersey card, Ryan Braun Bat card and a David Ortiz bat card. Pictured below is an example of these game used cards.

Overall I think Topps has created another stellar product. There were just a couple of aspects from the opening of the box and seeing doubles of multiple cards in just 1 box was a turn off. The Game Used cards that I managed to pull from the box made up for it in my mind, but now I need to do a lot more searching in order to complete my set... who am I kidding it just gives me more cards to search for. I love the thrill of the hunt. If you like Baseball sets that have a few misc. topic cards and novelty cards mixed in it is my suggestion that you check out this product. Thanks for taking the time to read my newest installment and as always, Peace and Baseball cards!!

Baseball cards... and surfers??

On my way back from a test out in Grand Rapids yesterday I figured I would rest my fatigued mind with a quick stop at my favorite Card Store. as mentioned before All-Star Sportscards, Apparel & Memorabilia Located in grand Rapids. Being that it was a weekend the owner Dan was not working but I figured it would a respite from the traffic and the 2 and a half hour test I had just completed. As usual I purchased a couple of grab bags which always provide a laugh because of the late 1980's and early 90's cards that are tossed in with a mix of current premium cards (some of these classics can be seen in my 'Cards of the Day' section located below), Its always a treasure hunt searching for a game used jersey/bat card or autograph of that favorite player. I got some real laughers this go round which I will address when i get to that point.
There are a couple aspects of card collecting that have reignited the fire of collecting for me. One of them is selling the cards that I don't necessarily want to keep on Ebay. I dont make enough money to retire on but what it does for me is allows me to continue to collect cards even though I dont have a job because I am not spending money out of my own pocket to buy the cards. It is the cards that are paying for themselves.
The other aspect that keeps me collecting is having another friend that is in to collecting cards as much as I am. The ability to go to shows and shops together makes it a fun hobby and a way for both of us to continue our hobby. we are always looking out for cards of players that each collects and then everytime we see each other the reaction is normally, "I have cards for you" and everytime either one of us hears that our heart jumps just a little with curiosity of what those cards may be. Without a fellow collector I may not even be into collecting anymore. Anyways enough with the mushy stuff. Lets get down to the real reason for this blog showcasing the cards and a checking out the new product.
Recent Gems:
while at the card shop yesterday I purchased 2 packs of the new 2011 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions and 3 packs of 2008 Upper Deck Goudey. I pulled 2 autographs from these 5 packs. which are pictured here.
Left: 2008 Upper Deck Goudey Graphs Brandon Phillips. Great pull because I am currently collecting this set
Right: 2011 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Autograph of Surfer Layne Beachley... Really a surfer autograph in a sportscard set??? I was not too thrilled when I saw this auto but I guess its better than buying a pack that did not have anything good. The set overall is a pretty good looking set with a lot of different people from different sports. 

On Ebay in the midst of all of my wheeling and dealing that I do. I purchased a lot of 3 'Hot packs' from 2010 Topps Update. a hot pack is a pack that is guaranteed by the seller to have a game used jersey card or an autographed card in it. so I was just hoping to get a player that I collect. (which I did not) but what I did pull out of one of those packs was this:
2010 Topps Update All-Star Stitches Game Used Jersey/Autograph of A's star closer Andrew Bailey. This card is serial #'d 24/25!! and the odds of pulling this card is like 1 in every 2,000+ packs! I was pretty happy to see this come out of that pack even though it was not a favorite player of mine.

Now that I have boasted a little bit about how my collection is growing a little bit. lets check out some of the REAL goodies that I got yesterday out of these grab bags. Its time for everybody's favorite part of the Blog. the CARDS OF THE DAY!!!!

Mustaches and a rec-specs!!! The looks of the Faces of Tony and Guillermo are those of determination and thoughtfulness about the task at hand. but check out Ken Phelps. WOW! you really caught him at a bad time or just surprised him after filming another Farmers insurance commercial. Love these Pictures. 

oh and ummm here is another priceless set. These are just mustaches but don't these guys look like someone you would find in a slowpitch softball tournament? Check out current Texas Rangers Manager Ron Washington with Jerry curl and mustache. the only card in the bunch that actually looks anything like an actual player.

well thanks again for reading my newest adventures in collecting and as always Peace and Baseball cards!!!

Grab Bags... aaaaaaaand Mustaches.

Greetings again card store creepers I am back with another installment with Blogimir Blogrerro's Baseball Card Blog. I made a trip with my buddy Jon out to our favorite card store today, All-Star Sports Cards and Collectables, In Grand Rapids MI, to get some grab bags and just mingle with my contemporaries. as always we were greeted with a smile and a heartfelt greeting. I am pretty sure that Dan (owner of said store) greets us so warmly because he knows that between Jon and myself one of us will normally spend a good amount of money on cards and accessories to continue growing our collections. Dan's shop is quite a little oasis as far as Jon and I are concerned. The grab bags that we buy, without self control, contain quite a diverse array of baseball cards some really cool newer Game used jersey or bat cards and some lower profile player autograph cards and a good amount of base set cards from all different years. also inserted in grab bags are prize tickets where you can win better prizes like today I got a prize ticket which was redeemed for a Steven Strasburg and Jason Heyward Rookie Cards. nice little duo of cards. but the real gems for the day of Grab Bags are pictured below.

Jon and I also made a trip to another card store near Dan's. I will refrain from saying their name because we dont like this store as much due to higher prices and to be frank, they have no customer service skills and aren't really personable. I bought a couple packs that were not available at Dan's store and pulled what you see in the last picture.

Recent Gems:

2011 Topps series 2 leather nameplate. Don Mattingly pulled out of a Jumbo pack. pretty cool looking card. see my previous blog for a review of the full Topps baseball 2011 set.

This Game used Jersey card comes from the brand new 2011 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions. I bought a couple packs and in the first pack pulled the Eric Lindros Game Used Jersey card. Overall the Goodwin Champs cards are cool looking cards but barely ANY baseball players in the set.

Cards of the Day: The inaugural dedication of card of the day is for sure a 4 way tie between the following pieces of baseball card history. Check it!!

check out these Gems from 1989 Donruss and have some amazing photos that make these eye catching cards immediate favorites. Jody Reed was apparently talking while have his picture snapped or he is doing his best Fonzi inpersination 'HEYYYYYY'. All while Eric Show and his mullet and stache are first ballot inductees in the Trailor Park Style Hall of Fame.

Oh MAN!! Holy Crap!! Check out Craig McMurtry and Mike Davis. They robbed the spectacle center at Goodwill. They are even rockin the creepy mustache look. good for them and thank you crappy late 80's Donruss and Fleer for capturing these timeless... ok not so timeless, but HILARIOUS images and then putting them into circulation. CLASSIC!!

Thank you for the time you invest in reading my blog. Be sure to check back next week for the next installment. Until next time and as always, Peace and Baseball cards!! 

2011 Topps set

The Diamond Anniversary of Topps. 60 years of producing baseball cards. This year they would do some pretty neat stuff to push the possibilities in the card industry. The possibility of getting a baseball card embedded with an actual diamond appeals to everyone and even peaked the attention of casual collectors. the way in which they were available however was a bit of a hassel. In order to have a chance to receive a 1 of 1 diamond variation card you needed to receive Diamond giveaway code redemption card and then enter the code online for the one in a gazillion chance to even catch a whiff of one of these cards. Overall the set is steller and the Topps company is doing a lot to ensure that there will be 60 more years of Topps cards. Here is a quick pictoral overview of what is included in this anniversary set.

Hobby Box-70$ 1 Relic or autograph per box
Jumbo Hobby Box- 100$ 2 relic + 1 auto

Pictured below:
Far Right- Standard basecard great picture quality with a bit of flair added by the chrome trimming around the name. There are different variations of the basecards including short prints.
Middle- gold variation of the basecard, and they are all serial numbered /2011
Far Left- Kimballs champions of games and sports insert cards. there is a set of 50 of these cards in each series of the Topps set. the painted pictures look nice but I have noticed a problem with centering on the cards and had a few manufaturer defected cards.

Pictured below:
Top- Diamond duos insert card. there are variations that contain game used jersey and  are serial #'d. cool idea for a card but its been done before in previous Topps sets. still a great subset.
Bottom- 60th Anniversary Diamond sparkle variation. the photo is the same as the base or gold variations but has a beautiful sparkle background that is simply stunning. These cards are placed ever few regular packs so they are not hard to come across. Great parallel edition. probably the most memorable inserts they have done in years.

Pictured below:
Top Left: 'Before there was Topps' series 2 inserts. gives a shout out to the cards that were found in cigarette and gum packs of the 1910's-1940's. cool but purely nostalgic.
Top Right: similar to the nostalgic aim of the previous. these are remakes of the classic legend cards of the early 20th century baseball cards.
Bottom Left: 60 Years of Topps inserts show classic rookie card years of Topps but with slightly different photographs. from the original. kind of a cool insert set but with the other 3 insert sets that are similar it is kind of white noise. beautiful cards though.
Bottom Right: The Topps 60insert set is a mix of classic and current players who's photos are set over a giant #60 in the background. these cards all have variations that included diamond sparkle, game used bats or jersey pieces, and also autographs. Great insert set but between me and my friends I believe we have pulled about 11 cubs game used cards. whats with all the low end players like Randy Wells in the Game Used lineup. not cool.

Pictured below:
Topps Leather Nameplate of a mix of classic and current players. there are different variations that are serial #'d. This insert is a bit contrived for me to really like it, but it is a well made card and adds to the originality of the set. you get one of these Nameplates in each jumbo hobby box

This set is a great start to the Baseball card season. I am a BUYER on this set and love the looks of most of the set. a couple of the insert sets seem a bit repetative but the cards are well made for the price and will be a favorite of collectors this years. For an affordable set the photos on these cards and the quality of the way they are made are outstanding. This set will bring back wayward collectors to their old passions of collecting. Until next time, and as always Peace, and Baseball cards.

The Addiction of Blogimir Blogrerro

Hello everyone. My name is Blogimir Blogrerro, and I addicted to collectible sports cards.
The addiction that I suffer from is referred to by professionals as Cardology Baseballus (Baseball card addiction). It began at an early age when my father would buy a couple packs of cards at the store and we would each open a pack and 'battle' to see who got the best players from their respective packs. seems innocent enough right? WRONG!! This periodical .99 cent gamble on a pack cards trying to locate that one superstar or favorite player eventually turned into a childhood hobby, and after a few years of being an avid collector this childish industry would not relent and has since become quite a obsession, and as a 27 year old man still living at home working my way through my 15th year of college its more present than ever. ITS LIKE THESE CARDS ARE LACED WITH CRACK!! Had my father known the fire he had lit in his 5 year old baseball obsessed son he might have redirected my vision while standing in the check lanes at the super market. 20+ years later, a massive space consuming collection occupies most open spaces in my room and office. but one positive thing is that I now have something to blog about.
The aim of these writings are not to place blame on the card companies for my addiction... ahem TOPPS!! but to use my card knowledge in a positive manner and educate and showcase the new sets that are released, as well as highlight some of the amazing or classic cards that I pull, and even better the ridiculous/hilarious cards I may come across in my tradings and purchases. i.e. any card from the 1990 Fleer set. one of the main goals of this blog will be to peak interests in collecting. Questions, observations, and additions from the readers are more than welcome and will only add to the success of this blog. I will do my best to update at least on a weekly basis if not more fequently. Until then check out the most recent 'hits' I have pulled over the last couple months.

Recent Gems:
1. 2010 Topps Update Adrian Gonzalez All Star Stitches relic/auto serial #'d /25. No pricing due to scarcity. pulled out of a pack I bought on ebay.

 2011 Topps Heritage Jackie Robinson Game Used Jersey card HAND SERIAL #'d 1/42!! best pull I have had in a very long time. I pulled this from a hobby pack of Heritage I got in a combination box at Target

 2011 Topps Heritage Real One Autograph of Ed Bouchee. I pulled this out of a blaster box I got as a gift from Target.

Thanks for the time you have invested in reading about my suffering with Cardology Baseballus. Until next time... Peace and baseball cards.