Welcome to The Great Griffey Frankenset!
If you're not familiar with the idea of a Frankenset, it is a customized set of cards properly sequenced by card number that all tie into a connecting theme. Some Frankenset themes include whole teams, mini-collections, and even just generally great cards or photos. This is the first Frankenset I'm aware of that is made up of just one player: Ken Griffey, Jr., the man of a million cards. I took the liberty of including things like inserts, parallels, cameos, and oddballs for the sake of variety and because it's just more fun that way. Enjoy!
Here is page 3 of the Great Griffey Frankenset:
Completeness of page: 9/9
Completeness of the Frankenset so far: 100% (27/27)
Team distribution so far: Mariners: 31/36 (86%), Reds: 4/36 (11%), White Sox: 1/36 (3%)
Cards not listed in Beckett Magazine: 6/9 (12/27 total, 44%)
Team distribution so far: Mariners: 31/36 (86%), Reds: 4/36 (11%), White Sox: 1/36 (3%)
Cards not listed in Beckett Magazine: 6/9 (12/27 total, 44%)
Approximate retail value of this page: $103 ($1032 running total)
Page 3 notes: As you may have noticed, very few of Junior's Cincinnati cards have made it into the set so far. I'll admit that I am a little biased towards both his mid-90's cardboard and his Mariners cards in general. There's not a single Cincy card on this entire page. There were also none on the first page and only one on the second. The ratio will eventually even out as the numbers grow and my choices for each number shrink, so don't fret. Go Reds and everything, but it's going to be a minute.
Page 3:
19. 1993 Select Stars #19
This used to be a hundred-dollar card. Hard to believe since now you can nab one for only a few bucks, but I get why it used to go for so much. It's a great photo in the classic Pinnacle Dufex effect and that instantly-recognizeable green that is to characteristic of '93 Select. I also love the big, classic Brewers logo in the photo background.
I saw this card in Beckett when I was a kid and wanted it right away. I liked it so much I even cut out the photo from the magazine and included it in my collection. I still have the cutout somewhere. It's a great example of Photoshop before Photoshop. It looks pretty realistic, and it makes you smile. Great card.
Ladies and gentlemen, the first Topps card in the Frankenset! (pause for applause) I've said it before, I don't know how this happened. It was completely natural. I barely noticed when when I was putting the checklist together, and before I knew it I was on page three with no Topps cards. This selection is not me patronizing Topps, though. On the contrary, I loved the idea and the execution here. Plus this thing is ultra thick and glossy.
Page 3 notes: As you may have noticed, very few of Junior's Cincinnati cards have made it into the set so far. I'll admit that I am a little biased towards both his mid-90's cardboard and his Mariners cards in general. There's not a single Cincy card on this entire page. There were also none on the first page and only one on the second. The ratio will eventually even out as the numbers grow and my choices for each number shrink, so don't fret. Go Reds and everything, but it's going to be a minute.
Page 3:
19. 1993 Select Stars #19
This used to be a hundred-dollar card. Hard to believe since now you can nab one for only a few bucks, but I get why it used to go for so much. It's a great photo in the classic Pinnacle Dufex effect and that instantly-recognizeable green that is to characteristic of '93 Select. I also love the big, classic Brewers logo in the photo background.
20. 1993 Donruss Preview #20
If you collect Griffeys, you might have done a double-take when you saw this card. That's because this is the preview version, and you just don't see it very often. The regular Donruss issue has Junior in a backwards cap and a blue rain-proof pullover with a big gold chain pulled out over it. The preview has Junior in bright daylight complete with brighter colors in the nameplate and a crowd of fans in the backdrop. Plus he's smiling a little. I like the preview a little better.
21. 1995 Megacards Babe Ruth 1895-1995 #21If you collect Griffeys, you might have done a double-take when you saw this card. That's because this is the preview version, and you just don't see it very often. The regular Donruss issue has Junior in a backwards cap and a blue rain-proof pullover with a big gold chain pulled out over it. The preview has Junior in bright daylight complete with brighter colors in the nameplate and a crowd of fans in the backdrop. Plus he's smiling a little. I like the preview a little better.
I saw this card in Beckett when I was a kid and wanted it right away. I liked it so much I even cut out the photo from the magazine and included it in my collection. I still have the cutout somewhere. It's a great example of Photoshop before Photoshop. It looks pretty realistic, and it makes you smile. Great card.
22. 1993 Pinnacle Cooperstown Card #22
This was another spot I was conflicted about. It came down to two cards, but this early heralding of Junior's eventual Hall of Fame induction won out. There is a Dufex version of this card that fits the definition of a Holy Grail to a T, but I have yet to track that one down (unless you count the one currently sitting on eBay for $1200).
This was another spot I was conflicted about. It came down to two cards, but this early heralding of Junior's eventual Hall of Fame induction won out. There is a Dufex version of this card that fits the definition of a Holy Grail to a T, but I have yet to track that one down (unless you count the one currently sitting on eBay for $1200).
23. 1990 Post #23
There are oddballs and then there's Post who made Griffey cards for half a decade. This was the first, and it remains the best of the lot, no question. Logos be damned.
There are oddballs and then there's Post who made Griffey cards for half a decade. This was the first, and it remains the best of the lot, no question. Logos be damned.
24. 1993 Upper Deck Fun Pack #24 Kid Stars
This guy here hasn't changed a bit. And is that little Craig to the left there?
25. 2014 Topps Future Stars That Never Were #FS-25This guy here hasn't changed a bit. And is that little Craig to the left there?
Ladies and gentlemen, the first Topps card in the Frankenset! (pause for applause) I've said it before, I don't know how this happened. It was completely natural. I barely noticed when when I was putting the checklist together, and before I knew it I was on page three with no Topps cards. This selection is not me patronizing Topps, though. On the contrary, I loved the idea and the execution here. Plus this thing is ultra thick and glossy.
26. San Bernardino Spirit #26 California League All-Star
Another great Griffey pre-rookie. These are not rare by any stretch, and they contain an action photo. You don't see that on too many pre-rookies. Plus, America colors.
Another great Griffey pre-rookie. These are not rare by any stretch, and they contain an action photo. You don't see that on too many pre-rookies. Plus, America colors.
27. 1995 Donruss Diamond Kings #DK-27
This was by far my favorite year of the Perez Diamond King. Bold, primary colors in dynamic shapes offset by a little bit of gold foil in the insert title. And the portraits are great. All Diamond Kings have a special place in my heart; but objectively speaking, I don't believe they ever got better than this.
This was by far my favorite year of the Perez Diamond King. Bold, primary colors in dynamic shapes offset by a little bit of gold foil in the insert title. And the portraits are great. All Diamond Kings have a special place in my heart; but objectively speaking, I don't believe they ever got better than this.
Here is the back of Page 3:
Thanks for reading, and look for page 4 next Friday!
I have the Select Stars Barry Bonds card and I remember seeing huge dollar amounts for that in Beckett as well. I used to love that card - seeing the Griffey version brought back a lot of good thoughts! As for hardly any Reds... One (long) word: booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry - we still have a ways to go here. There are plenty Redlegs forthcoming. He started appearing a lot later in many sets after the injury-prone early-2000's.
DeleteAlso, you've inspired me to add a new element to Frankenset Fridays: A Mariners vs Reds (vs White Sox, I guess) running ratio. I'm putting that together right now...
Wait, no diecut???
ReplyDeleteThere's a good excuse for this one: most die-cut cards are inserts which means low card numbers, usually less than 10 or 20. There will be significantly fewer going forward, but they're not gone entirely.
DeleteBabe-Ruth-In-A-Dodger-Uniform-With-Griffey-wuuuuuuuuuuuuh? Added to the cart.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping the kid next to little Griffey was little Barry Larkin.
Great cards! Jealous!
ReplyDeletehttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v520/mnbamboozled/griffeys/INSERTS/1993selectstarspromo_zpsa027c429.jpg
ReplyDeletehttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v520/mnbamboozled/griffeys/INSERTS/1993cooperstown.jpg
Clearly drunk Babe Ruth cameos are the best Babe Ruth cameos. :D
ReplyDelete