Getting caught up...

My life, for the last nine months has been a pretty strange ride. I won't go into great detail, but after not having a job for a long time, I finally found one. Walmart. Not the best in the world, but I enjoyed it. But then I was offered a job with my former employer for pretty much what I was making before, and closer to home.

So after needing a job, now I have an extra one.

But with working, I'm exhausted. I'm still here though. I'm still reading, but my commenting has dropped to near nothing and my posting here, and at 1988 Donruss has been absent for a few days over a month now.

Well, it's time to get caught up, both here and at 88 Donruss.

We'll start here.

Three packages have come in filled with '09 Topps series 2 from Andy, GCRL and Howard.

With all the help I've gotten in these three packages, I'm only needing 13 cards to complete the set! Here's my current want list.

Just because I'm only going to post one doesn't mean that they weren't all greatly appreciated. They were.

But one card in particular jumped out at me. This has to be one of the most interesting shots in the set.


I think maybe this should have been a horizontally oriented picture just based on the cloud formations. But I don't know. Whatever it is, it's an interesting looking card.

Thanks a lot guys. It's been a while since I've written and I feel bad because I miss it. Hopefully this'll get me jumpstarted again.

Look for an update to 1988 Donruss in the next several days.

2009 Topps Series 2 Want List

I think I'm finally finished buying series 2. I currently have 235 of the 330 cards and a good stack of doubles. The doubles list will be updated later tonight. For now, here's what I need.

332, 335, 337, 339, 345, 349, 350, 359, 362, 363, 364, 369, 370, 379, 382, 384, 387, 389, 401, 406, 407, 411, 412, 413, 421, 423, 424, 425, 429, 433, 436, 437, 445, 446, 447, 449, 450, 453, 460, 469, 479, 483, 487, 488, 494, 498, 500, 502, 507, 508, 510, 511, 516, 520, 521, 525, 528, 529, 537, 538, 539, 546, 556, 563, 565, 570, 572, 577, 579, 581, 584, 586, 588, 590, 591, 593, 594, 601, 606, 607, 609, 612, 614, 621, 626, 631, 632, 636, 638, 641, 643, 646, 647, 652, 659

Thanks.

Slicin' up a box for Dayf...

Well, looks like Dayf wants to see me hack up my 1988 Fleer box with a machete. Well, here you go.

In three parts.





I had to switch to a smaller knife to cut out the cards because I like my fingers. The knives used are: Ontario RTAK and a Spyderco Centofante 4.

The end result wasn't as clean as possible because the RTAK is a good quarter inch thick (and seventeen inches long) and it kept hanging up in the soft cardboard, and I did manage to slice off the corner of Kirby Puckett, but that's ok. The little Spyderco slid right through the cardboard though.

I realize it's more of a slice than a hack... but I've spent too much money on guitars to risk losing a finger.

So, there you have it.

HUGE, combined 1988 Fleer mail day...

I didn't get around to posting the stack of 88 Fleer that Jeff from Card Junkie sent yesterday, and maybe it's a good thing. Becuase in the mail box today were two more packages. One from Fat Rat with more 1988 Fleer.

Before going to the mail box on Saturday, I had 509 of the 660 cards of 1988 FLeer. After going through both packages from Jeff and John, I'm down to needing less than 40!

So, any extra Phillies I get are going to John and I'm looking through my '09 Series 2 extras for Card Junkie.

I really don't know where to begin on these, so I'll just highlight a few of my favorite cards from the stacks.

Let's just look at a random sampling, shall we?


A very young Matt Williams. I always liked him despite the steroid allegations.


1980's glasses goodness.


"rrrrrrrrrrrrr... Zomberto Kelly eat braaaaaaaainssss..."


Like Bob Walk, Eric Plunk is a guy that I think, based solely on last name, should have chosen another career path.

In fourteen seasons, Eric only plunked 32 batters though.


Looks like Fleer stole a page out of the Topps Big Book of Bad Baseball Card Poses. I'm pretty sure there's no ball in that glove.


I have no memory of this guy playing for the Braves... or anyone else for that matter. Looks like his big league career consisted of 31 games with an 4-11 record and an ERA of over 6.


Here's a guy I really didn't want to see leave Atlanta. I like Yunel Escobar and Kelly Johnson (when he remembers how to hit) up the middle, but I miss Blauser and the Lemmer.

When I saw the 32 on his bat knob, I thought he was holding someone else's bat because I remember Blauser wearing number 4. But it looks like he had number 32 until Gary Eave was called up in 1989, at which point Blauser switched to number 4.

Well... that's it.

I want to send a huge thanks to both Jeff and John. I'm less than 40 cards from the end thanks to their generosity.

My want list will be updated pretty soon.

And check out A Pack to be Named Later sometime this afternoon for the first pack of 1988 Donruss.

Thanks again.

Another box of Series Two Cereal...

Series Two O's.

Are all the series 2 boxes Lou Gherig? This'll be the third one I've bought and all three have been Lou.

So with two cereal boxes, five packs and a blaster, I'm 51% through the set. So let's see how I do with this one. I've only pulled a handful of Braves too. Only one from the first cereal box, and I think Chipper was the only one in the second... maybe this one'll be a bit better.

Before I begin, I should preface this by adding that I am substantially drunk, so any typos, I'll try to fix in the morning.

Again, I won't list all the cards because that would be boring...


I don't like Derek Jeter. I'm sorry, but I don't. I hate the Yankees, and I really just don't like Jeter. I do like him a lot more than Alex Rodriguez, who I disliked long before he was a Yankee, but sorry Jeter fans... he's just not for me.

But this is a great looking card. I can't get over how well Topps did with their photography this year. It's not as good all the way around as 1988 Score, but it's pretty damn close.


This is a nice action shot. But what I really want to point out here is the guy talking on his cellphone at a baseball game.

I have a cellphone, and I probably couldn't live without it since I don't have a landline. But I hate being around people who can't get off the damn things no matter where they are. If you're walking around downtown or in a store you don't need to be talking on the phone. People don't want to hear your conversations and it doesn't make you look cool to strut along with a phone in your ear. It didn't look cool 15 years ago when very few people had cellphones and it sure as hell doesn't look cool now that everyone has one.

And guess what, guy on a phone at a Rockies game? Now you're going to be the jackass that everyone who collects baseball cards will remember as the guy on the phone.

Hang the fucking thing up and watch the game. He's probably one of those assholes who sits on his phone the entire game talking to someone who's watching the game on TV.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system...


I'm not sure if I like this card or not. There's a lot of great action going on, and I really like how the ball is almost in perfect focus. But it's just a strange position to find a pitcher in at any time during a game. I'm guessing he's fielding a bunt and throwing off balance to first... or jumping a hurdle as he runs across the field.

It would be a great shot if the ball was the focal point of the photo, instead of the strained look on his face.

And now, the best card in the box (assuming the refractor isn't Ripken)...


Maddux in an awesome throwback jersey. You can't ask for much better.

This wasn't a bad box at all, very few doubles. But there was one damaged card and fortunately I already had it, so I can't complain about that.

Now the refractor...


Pretty spiffy. I've got Bob Gibson, Ty Cobb and now Cy Young.

Any doubles that I got out of the box will be up on my for trade list in the morning.

Mailday from Montana

In the mail box this afternoon were two small bubble mailers. One from Jeff at Card Junkie, and one from reader Mike, out in Bozeman, Montana.

I've never been to Montana, but a great deal of one of my favorite books, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, is set in Bozeman. It, along with its sequel Lila, is one that I go back and read every year or two. In fact, I'll probably have to buy a new copy after another reading.

But I digress. Let's look at some cards.



Top row:
131 Juan Nieves
273 Gerald Perry
337 Fernando Valenzuela

Bottom row:
341 Orel Hershiser
432 Joe Magrane
452 Pat Clements

Since we all know most of these players, I'm going to do a group scan and then talk a bit.

There's a good chance that this is the best combination of six cards you could possibly find in this set.

With the exception of Gerald Perry, there's not a boring shot in the group. And Perry's a Brave, so I don't mind the boring shot too much.

My favorite of the group is, as you probably guessed, Orel Hershiser. Comparing his Topps signature to the TTMs I got a few weeks ago, it doesn't look like his signature has changed much in the past 20 years.

I assume these are all spring training shots, and I noticed that only Magrane and Clements aren't wearing long sleeves under their jersey shirt. So maybe they're from early spring training.

Once again, I'd like to thank Mike, and I'm now five cards from the end. I made a little booboo on my want list and missed two cards that I actually needed, so that list is now correct.

Check in tomorrow afternoon as we go through a large (41 cards) chunk of 1988 Fleer that Jeff from Card Junkie sent over.

Thanks again to Mike and Jeff. And be sure to keep a look out early next week for 1988 Donruss to take over the old '88 Fleer blog.

Series Two Cereal anyone?

I was in Wal Mart, and I said I wasn't going to buy any more retail packs, and I didn't. But I did pick two boxes of Lou Gherig O's. $10 and unsearchable, it's a good deal.


Looks tasty. Let's hope so.

I won't list every card because that would be boring.


On first glance this is a pretty cool looking card. But then you notice that Carlos is just as worried about his hat coming off as he is about catching the ball.


The ONLY Brave in the box and a sweet, sweet looking swing. I just wish he was using that sweet swing to actually hit the a little more than he's doing.


This DOES NOT look real. It looks like a screencap from a video game.


Any Rockies fans out there want this? Let me know.

So nothing spectacular, but I only got seven doubles. So I'm a lot happier than those retail packs.

So let's take a look at the EXCLUSIVE LEGENDS CHROME REFRACTOR!


Hey hey... this is nice. I'm pleased. THat smudge is from the scanner... I realy need to Windex my scanner bed.

So if anything else interesting pops up in the second box, I'll do a little post.