How to Complete a Team Set, the Easy Way

One of my goals this year was to try an limit the sets I go after, to date I don't think I have done that good of a job.  If you take a look at my Set Want List tab, you will see want lists for Topps Flagship, Topps Opening Day, Topps Heritage and Donruss for 2014.  Outside the high end releases like Tribute and Museum Collection and the Online only set of Turkey Red (all of which I have never set collected), it doesn't appear I have held back much.

I recently heard that Topps Stickers had been released.  At a dollar/pack these can be affordable fun packs to break and I have found myself going after the entire set a couple of times.  This year I finally displayed some discipline, I haven't bought one sticker pack and went online and bought this for the price of 5 packs of stickers:

This is the entire 10 sticker Giants team set and I have vowed not to buy one pack of these this year to support my goal of cutting back some.  I think I will try to hold back on Gypsy Queen, using my case break of the Giants as my sole indulgence although I bet I will pick up some packs.

You know how it goes on eBay, I am always on the lookout for combined shipping and I picked up a couple more team sets.

 Next up is 2002 Fleer Platinum.  I only had 1-2 of these cards and for a couple bucks I couldn't resist.  Another team set bites the dust. The final one was a big one...

In all its glory, the 2003 Topps Total Giants team set consisting of 41 cards including the Bonds checklist.  I had a very small number of these prior to the purchase - under 10 for sure - so when I saw this I had to jump even though it was $10. I figured 25 cents per card to knock it out all at once was a good move.  I wasn't buying too many cards when this set came out but man if there was a 40-man roster deep set at a reasonable price I think I would be all over it today.

I did pick up a 4th parallel set but it was missing a card.  The seller is supposed to be sending it and I may post it once I get the entire team set.

I am hoping this Topps Sticker team set purchase is the start of a positive trend on paring down my new card purchases.  My next temptation will be Gypsy Queen which was released this week...

Just Commons Order Part 4 - 1998-1999

As I finish this series of posts I am reminded that I forgot to get some new pages for my Giants binders last time I was at the LCS.  Looks like this stack of cards may sit around for a bit until I can secure some more pages.  I also need some boxes for the 2014 sets I am working on putting together.

Most of these cards are from 1998, I hit my spending limit after just a few 1999s so my next Justcommons.com order will start back in 1999.  There are some pretty good designs in this group, hope you enjoy.

The top row is from the sophomore set of Topps Stars. I don't have any cards from the 1997 release.  These 3 are all numbered to 9799 and complete my team set along with a Barry Bonds I picked up some time ago.  Nice enough design with the star theme featured in the background.  The backs have a trivia question that is answered on the follow card number - this so annoys me!  The two Pinnacle All-Stars are from the Pinnacle set and complete that team set.  I really like the acetate action on the EX-2001 card of Shawn Estes.  Estes and Bonds are the only Giants in this set (and I don't have Bonds) but this is a set I would pick up a box of if I could find it at a reasonable price.  I would also consider a set purchase, I like them that much.  (just did a quick eBay search, one unopened box for $500 and the set for almost $40, won't be going after this one)

These Circa Thunder cards complete my team set but are a poor next Circa set - the 1997 is so much better.  More silver shiny Donruss Elite cards, predictably nice but not great.  The Cruz card is considered a Gold Leaf Rookie and is part of the base set.  Still need a Barry Bonds GLS (whatever that is).  This multi-set scan finished off with a Skybox Dugout Access card of JT Snow, which completes the 3 player team set in my collection.

Transitioning from 4 sets on one scan to 1 set on a scan.  These cards are very nice looking and get my team set one card away from complete.  There is a little bend to these cards but nothing like the Topps Chrome set a couple years back.  I am a fan of the 1998 Bowman Chrome design, looks very good in the shiny version.

Another, one set scan featuring shiny cards.  I have realized I have a lot of Topps Chrome gaps in my collection in the early 2000s, fortunately this group of 5 finished off this team set.  I am not a big fan of 1998 Topps but I think the design may have been put together thinking of the Chrome set as these are sharp looking.

I mentioned in an earlier post from this purchase that I had some holes in my Score collection.  I filled 7 of those holes in this purchase with this not so exciting looking Score set.  Still need 3 cards to finish this one off.  Finishing off Score isn't one of my 2014 goals but I have decided to abandon 1 or 2.  Maybe I will make a shift at mid year.  I also picked up 2 SP Authentic cards and these didn't scan great but look really nice.  This set is 198 cards strong with only 5 Giants, I wish there were more as I like the look.  I am down to just needing the Jeff Kent after getting the Robb Nen in a recent trade package.

My final scan features 4 cards from 2 sets put out in 1999.  The top 2 come from Upper Deck Century Legends and both feature the HR King.  While the one on the left features Barry in a Pirates uniform, he is pictured and listed as a Giants on the back and therefore makes the Giants binder.  The bottom 2 cards are from 1999 Upper Deck MVP.  I have gotten a few packs of these in repacks and suspect this was a pretty low end release.  I still need one card to finish my team set.

I really enjoyed getting all these cards from sets that I was fairly unfamiliar with.  If you haven't checked out Justcommons.com, I would suggest you take a look to fill in some team or player collection gaps.  Over $10 has free shipping and if you go over $50, you can usually find an online discount code to use for 10% off.

Trade Post - Cards on Cards

Time to share some more trade goods from Kerry over at Cards on Cards.  As always, he was able to put a nice package together that helps out my collection, this time hitting on both my set needs and my Giants needs.

Up first the set needs:

 Two great Hall of Famers from the Upper Class set, I like the look of this insert set with the retired stars.  I also got a McGriff 1989 mini.  I took the plunge last weekend and found someone on eBay with all the 1989 mini cards I needed to finish my set and most of the Before They Were Greats.  If I can pick up the last 3 BTWGs before series 2 comes out, I will meet a goal of mine this year.

Now onto the Giants:

This is a great collection of Giants and all but the Ortiz Foil Bowman are parallels.  I am closing in on this year's Series 1 Target parallel set which is super cool.  With the addition of the Blanco Emerald, I am also down to needing two Emerald for all 3 2013 Topps releases.  The scan doesn't show it well but the Cain in an Ultra Gold Medallion.  Picking up an earlier 00s Topps Gold is great, I would love to go back and fill in all those sets some day.  The Leaf is a Black parallel, only evidenced by the name Leaf in black.  A great collection of cards, loving all the parallels.

Thanks Kerry for the great group of cards!

Just Commons Order Part 3 - 1995 - 1997

I will continue the journey of 1990s cards from my Justcommons.com order with a group from the years 1995-1997.  This is smack in the middle of a time I did little to no collecting, primarily driven by the lack of funds - I was broke for a few years after college so there is a lot of space to fill in the 1990s binder.

The first 4 cards are from 1995 Flair and they are really nice.  The cardstock is pretty thick and the front features two photos (with a 3rd on the back).  The backs feature up to 6 lines of stats along with a career totals line.  It appears that these were broken into 2 series with these all coming from the 1st. I am now 1 card short of the first series team set but still need 4 for series 2.  The Matt Williams card comes from 1995 Upper Deck Special Edition.  I am not sure what is so special about this, the front is nice and shiny, not a lot wrong with the card, just not special in my book.  This is only my 3rd card from this team set, still need 6 more.

The top 3 cards are from 1995 Studio, they are designed to look like credit cards.  I kind of like the big National League logo in the background but overall I am not a huge fan of these cards. I am now just 1 card short of the team set which is nice.  The middle two cards chip away at the 1995 Bowman want list that is now down to 2.  I have bought most of the Bowman team sets in lots but this one has come through trades and singles purchases.  Finally the bottom 2 Barry Bonds cards are from 1995 UC3.  These were the last 2 cards from this team set.  They are very Sportsflics-ish and I like them.

On to 1996, starting off with 5 Pacific cards.  These completed my team set and while not the greatest Pacific design, they are solid with the full bleed photos.  The crown name block and team logo don't take away much from the design.  The backs contain both English and Spanish with the Espanol being more dominant.  The two Pinnacle cards complete yet another team set and while it is only a 4 card team set with two cards each for Bonds and williams, I am still happy to have it complete. For some reason this dark design has always appealed to me. The final two holographic cards are from 1996 SPx, I just need the Bonds to finish off this team set.  The cards actually scan better than they display to the naked eye, the holographs aren't super strong.  It is a nice overall design with the die cut and a nice little write up on the back.

This post will conclude with the cards from 1997, I believe this is the year where I picked up the most cards.  This 6 card Circa purchase left me 2 cards from the team set in what is a pretty deep set featuring 14 Giants.  This design is kinda crazy looking with some wild colors and lettering in the front - I like it.  I also like the quote on the front of each players card.  The 1997 Score design in pretty boring in my opinion.  These two left me 2 cards from the team set.  I need to figure out how many Score base cards I need, this may be the next brand to put to rest.

The 5 SP cards make up the entire Giants team set, this purchase was my first look at these cards.  A very Upper Deck looking set with nice photos and a fairly clean design.  The backs have 2 additional photos with a face shot and another action shot, a very nice touch.  The Donruss Elite Bonds also completes another team set - a team set of 1.  This set just screams Elite with the silver shiny front and fairly high quality look.  The Williams finishes off the 7 card Pinnacle team set (along with 5 cards in the next scan) while the final two Bonds cards inch me closer to the New Pinnacle team set.  Pinnacle/New Pinnacle, no wonder the industry has some issues.

As referenced above, these first 5 are of 1997 Pinnacle.  I like the look of the gold along the bottom/side, there are very tiny words about the team inscribed, I saw Candlestick Park and Willie McCovey among the listed items - two of my favorites from my childhood.  The Bowman Chrome cards look nice and these 4 finish off the 5 card team set for me.  I like the color differences for the prospects and veterans, much better than today's odd numbering conventions.

The final scan shows 6 cards from my favorite set of 1997 - Metal Universe.  My kids love these cards, especially the Mueller with the dragon hand grabbing for him and the Hill about to get eaten.  Even thought JT Snow is shown in an Angels uni, he is listed as a Giant and that earns him a spot in the Giants binder.  The final card is 1997 Pacific Prism card, I now have this one and the Barry Bonds.  These are nice looking cards and the area around the small portrait at the bottom is clear.

I still have lots of base gaps in these years but had fun putting a dent in the want list and having the chance to appreciate some designs from back when I wasn't collecting.  My final post with 1998-1999 will be the final from this purchase.

McCovey Monday #47 - My First McCovey - 1979 Topps

My favorite player of all time is Hall of Famer Willie McCovey.  I have amassed a collection of over 1100 different  McCovey cards since I started collecting him in the late 1980s.  I will show off one of my favorite cards every Monday.  Stretch was one of the most feared hitters of all time and I am excited to show off my collection.

Today I thought I would share my first ever Willie McCovey card:

1979 was the first year I collected cards and this McCovey was the first card of his that I ever had as part of my collection.  I am amazed by some bloggers' recall of pulling specific cards out of specific packs - while cards have always been an important part of my life, I just don't have recollections of many pack openings.  I do recall seeing this card for the first time and loving Willie in his home whites with the orange Candlestick seats in the background. 

I have had the chance to upgrade this card before (it isn't in bad shape but does have a bottom right corner issue and isn't quite centered) but since this was my first Willie Mac card, it will always remain part of my collection.

Just Commons Order Part 2 - 1992 - 1994

This is the second post of my 160 card Justcommons.com purchase.  The first post showed off the 2014 cards and hits I bought and the final 3 in this series are set up to show off some different sets from the 1990s.  I was largely absent from the hobby in the 1990s (very poor in college and post college) minus buying a Topps set each year and some basketball cards.  My last Justcommons.com order took care of the 1980s through 1992 and this one focused on the rest of the 90s.  With this post I will indicate the set and provide any thoughts I have on the design.

The first 4 cards are from 1993 SP, a higher end set produced by Upper Deck.  The design is nice with the photo taking up most of the card and consisting of in game action photos.  I didn't scan backs but may comment on them (sorry) and these backs are nice with another in game action photo. The statistics show their Career Best in 10 categories, their 1992 Season stats and the Career totals.  The last 2 cards in this scan are 1993 Finest. Most are familiar with Finest, one of Topps higher end releases with thick, shiny stock.  The base card of Burkett is solid but the All-Star of Will Clark is spectacular - one of my favorite designs of all time with the green borders.  The backs have a small portrait photo and share the 1992 stats and career stats. 

Next up are two cards from the 1994 Ted Williams set. I like this set, it isn't great but the subject matter is.  Most of the set are HOFers and stars from the past as these two cards demonstrate with Mel Ott and Bobby Thomson.  The fronts are made to look like paintings with bright colors.  The backs show the players 5 best seasons and Lifetime stats along with all their measurables and a 2-3 sentance write up on each player.  I really like how the Major League Debut date and year of HOF induction (where applicable) are included along with the normal DOB, Batting, Throwing, etc.  The final 5 cards are from 1994 Sportflics.  I always liked Sportflics and between this and the next picture you can see I needed quite a few from 94. The first 3 here are rookies and they have a different design than the base cards.  Odd seeing Darryl as a Giant.  Typical Sportflics set with some nice action shots, I like it.

Here are the Sportflics cards continued.  The last 2 cards are Starflics which I assume are star players.  I like the red background and the large baseball towards the bottom.  Pretty crazy that they went with 3 different designs on the base set.  The backs of the cards kind of remind me of 1995 Fleer, lots of color and some crazy designs.

Some more Finest, this time the 1994 edition.  Topps incorporated the green from the 93 All-Stars into this design and I think these cards look amazing.  I would love to have a set of these but expect that will never happen.  I usually like pictures with more zoomed out action shots but these just work.  The backs aren't super special, a zoomed in picture of the player framed in a home plate shape with season and career stats.  There is a nice little Finest Moment along the bottom.

This picture includes the final 2 Finest, these are rookies and have a slightly different front design - they still look nice.  The backs look just the same.  After the Finest cards, we see 4 1994 Select cards and 3 1994 Score Rookie and Traded cards.  I like the two action photos of the Select set and the name separating them is okay.  Manwaring has lots of good photos on his cards.  There is a nice 3rd photo on the back as well

Delayed Start of the Season Post

I had a huge work conference that I was partly responsible for putting on all of last week.  I left home at about 5:30 AM on Monday and got back yesterday at around 4 PM.  I haven't has the chance to watch much baseball, my following of baseball has been reviewing ESPN.com recaps and talking with a few work friends.  I do know that my fantasy team is doing horribly and my Giants are 4-1 after 5 games!

Last weekend I purchased the MLB.TV package and and Apple TV - woo hoo I get to watch the Giants broadcast in Los Angeles!  I have decided to try tracking the results of the Giants and naming an MVP for each game on my sidebar again this year.  My move stopped it last year fairly early but the combination of getting to watch a lot of games and my limited travel schedule this year inspires me to have some fun with it.

Another big game against the dreaded Dodgers today, can we go to 5-1?

Since this is a card blog, how about a card of a player who has started off hot but has yet to earn Player of the Game honors.

Brandon Belt is currently hitting .318 with an OPS of 1.045, 3 HRs, 6 RBI and continuing his hot hitting from the second half of last year.  We could be seeing the emergence of a star player.