2000 Fleer Impact: Suspiciously Oddball

2000 Fleer Impact #100

In my collection: 2 base, 2 Mighty Fine in '99, 1 Point of Impact

Griffey looks: fully extended

Is this a good Griffey card? Yes.  It’s a first-year Reds base card.  That’s about it.

The set: It seems that for a while there in the late 90’s through early aughts all brands were trying to fill every niche of the market with some kind of product, and no one did this more unapologetically than Fleer.  These guys put out a brand for every price point, and this here is their low-end offering (you can tell, right?).

The base card design is very simple with a transparent, team-shaded border and some thin white border lines.  I nodded off twice while typing that description.  Hey, why is the verb describe and the noun description?  Shouldn’t it be describtion?  Or descripe?

Notable inserts from 2000 Impact include a set of team tattoos, some batting gloves relics, and an Autographics insert with a parallel.  None of those include Griffeys, though.  The ones that do are below.  First here's the base card again:

The Kid is fully extended here, trying to give that ball as much height as possible and get it over the wall.  I hope he didn’t pull something.

Fleer dropped Junior's '89 stats to save space on the card back, but it looks to me like they could have made it fit.  I mean, one year?  You couldn't just squeeze one more year in there for the sake of completion?  Oh, you're saving that for the $2.00 price point?

2000 Fleer Impact Mighty Fine in '99 #33

Here’s another with Griffey in full extension.  This insert card has a bit of foil plus a not-terrible-looking polka dot background, and the color fades around his body and the card edges looks great.  There's even a slight swirl effect going on around the guy.  A surprisingly attractive insert.

2000 Fleer Impact Point of Impact #1

This die-cut beauty almost makes up for the blandness of the overall set.  This must have been a great pull back in 2000 what with all the meteor-destroys-Earth movies coming out.

It also reminds me of this earlier planetary Fleer die-cut:

As there are only three cards and they are inexpensive, this is another one of those rare sets for which I have every Griffey there is to get.  I suppose it could be argued that I need the team tattoos for the Reds and Mariners, but they’re not really on my radar.  Stick a fork in this one, and savor the flavor.

When a mainstream base set looks like an oddball, nobody wins, least of all the card company.  The inserts are better than the base design leads you to believe, so this one evens out.

Mechanics of the Sort: Griffeys

I spend a lot of time organizing cards, but none more meticulously nor with more enjoyment than new Griffeys.  They must be sorted by year and brand, evaluated, counted, and placed appropriately in the binders.  I finally have it down to a science; so in the interest of spreading best practices, here it is in all its anal-retentive glory: the Griffey Sorting Process.

All incoming Griffey cards go to a catch-all Griffey-only stack on my card shelf.  All Griffeys sent in trades and, when appropriate, those acquired from card shows, COMC, the LCS, and eBay are scanned for eventual blog posting before they reach the pile.

Step 1: When the Griffey stack gets too high, usually over 100 cards, it’s time to sort.  Giddiness ensues. 

We start with a stack of raw cards that usually looks like this:

Griffeys.  Pure, unrefined Griffeys.

Any and all cases are removed except for penny sleeves which stay on until the last minute. 

Out comes the sorting table.  I got this table for Christmas from my Aunt last year and you wouldn’t believe how much it comes in handy.  You may have seen it in previous posts - I do all my sorting here as it is the perfect size and height and also highly portable.  She got it at World Market if anyone else is interested.

Step 2A: Here we begin the actual sort.  The bulk of the cards end up stacked by year in one of two rows, 1990-1999 and 2000-2009.  Stacks for 2010-2013 go along the bottom along with the unknowns, and anything pre-1990 gets its own pile at the top.

Step 2B: Once all the cards are in their proper piles, I research the unknowns and sort them accordingly.  The goal here is to eliminate the unknown pile completely, but in rare cases when the card year cannot be determined that card stays in the unknown pile.

Step 3A: This is where it starts to get technical.  First I draw a simple chart on paper for the count.  Before I begin it looks like this:

The top row is total card count, the bottom is new card count.

I grab the first stack, cards from 1989, count them up and mark their quantity on the top row of the chart.  Next I separate out those Griffeys I know for sure I already have,  checking them for differences such as errors, wrong backs, promos, hard-to-spot parallels, and other differences of that nature.  Then it’s a simple matter of sorting them into the binder. 

To save binder space and pages, cards for which I already have a full page go into a separate stack.  These will eventually be sorted into the overstock box which looks like this:

Recently expanded to two boxes.  A lot of overproduction era in here.

[A note about the overstock box: It was getting silly flipping through page after page of the same card, and these Ultra Pro Platinum pages don’t grow on trees.  I mean how many 1990 Donruss Diamond Kings do you need to see to know I’m completely insane?]

Step 3B: While this part takes the most time, it is also the most fun.  I put the remaining cards from that year (the ones I wasn’t 100% positive I already had) into a vague brand order and start sorting them into the binders, vetting them as I go.  I group like cards together and find or make an appropriate space for cards that are entirely new.  This is how I am able to keep an accurate count of unique Griffeys which I tally up one-by-one in the bottom row of the chart.

I repeat this process for each year’s stack until they are all in a binder or in overstock.  I then add up all the counts for each row to get the overall total number of cards added as well as the total number of new cards.  I can then combine these figures with the standing count and calculate the new duplicate ratio.

My goal is to have a shrinking duplicate ratio that slowly approaches one – this would signal efficient collecting practices on my part.  The final numbers put me at 307 cards added, 60 of which are new to the collection.  That's a duplicate ratio of 5.17, well above that of the collection which is 2.576.  This particular stack of Griffeys was less efficient than I hope, but I did get 60 new adds so no complaints.  

Here are the counts before and after the new stack:

Before: 6,534 cards, 2,536 unique, 2.576 dup ratio.

After: 6,841 cards, 2,596 unique, 2.635 dup ratio.

All sorted and in the binders.  I've had to add an eighth binder but haven't made a label for it yet.

Step 4: Rebuild.  Once the overstock cards are sorted into the box, the binders are put away, and the counts are updated on the blog, the Griffey stack can begin anew. 

There are usually a few weeks between Griffey sorts, depending on how active I was in collecting over that time.  FeeBay auctions are by far the quickest way to acquire, but it has lost its efficiency as my collection has grown.  I can no longer count on blind lots to increase my Griffey count and reduce my duplicate ratio.  My focus has switched to quality over quantity which means fewer Griffey sorts.  I have to savor them.  Perhaps that’s why I’ve turned it into a whole post.

In the mean time I mailed out everybody's picks from the Griffey Birthday Giveaway, so look out for those this week.

Happy Sorting!

Conlonoscopy 2: the Gloves Come Off

In my original Conlon Collection post I only had two of the regular cards and the two promo cards.  I’m proud to report that after a lot of digging and uncomfortable prodding in the depths of the Internet, I’ve finally hit pay dirt: all ten Conlon Griffey cards. 

Dig this spread:

These eight regular cards make up the entirety of the 1995 Megacards The Sporting News Conlon Collection Ken Griffey, Jr. In the Zone Insert set. 

I sort of lucked out in acquiring them, too.  I spotted one of the cards mixed in with a bunch of other Griffeys in the top photo of an eBay auction lot.  I then moused over the picture for a closer look and saw another, then another, and eventually I realized, “Holy cow, it’s the entire set.”  The lot also included an ’89 Upper Deck rookie (which always adds 20 bucks to the final price) and about 30 other cards, so it wasn’t particularly cheap. 

The seller probably would have done better selling this set in its own auction.  I don’t feel guilty, though, as the guy ended up being a real buttnut in the end.

1995 Conlon Collection In the Zone #1

This card calls Junior “Kenny” and remarks on how both the Babe and the Kid are natural players who can hit for both power and average and also care for their kids and the needy.  It mentions that Kenny “might never attain Ruth’s remarkable heights,” those being his .342 lifetime average and 714 dingers. 

That’s a steep lifetime average, but I do believe that were it not for his injuries Griffey would certainly have surpassed the 714 mark (he was only 84 short when he retired).  I would love to have seen this smug little card get proven wrong.  Oh, well.  We’re none of us perfect.

1995 Conlon Collection In the Zone #2

Probably my favorite blurb from this set, this card touts Gehrig and Griffeys mutual respectability both as players and as men.

1995 Conlon Collection In the Zone #3

This card highlights how both Griffey and Cobb were center fielders, and that’s it.  Whoa, freaky….

1995 Conlon Collection In the Zone #4

Again, the “Kennys” abound.  This card predicted that Griffey may have matched Foxx’s homerun pace, but he ended up a couple seasons short of Foxx’s mark of 500 HRs by age 32.  It also mentions that Jimmie was super-ripped while Junior is relatively un-ripped for a power hitter.

1995 Conlon Collection In the Zone #5

Both Junior and Mel started young, racked up respectable lifetime numbers early in their careers, and both had father figures to emulate.

1995 Conlon Collection In the Zone #6

This card talks about how similar the first seasons of Ken and Joe were (they were not - Joe had a much better rookie season) and compares both players’ strong ability in the outfield (this part is valid).

1995 Conlon Collection In the Zone #7

Griffey and Speaker are similar in that they are both excellent outfielders with more-than-solid offensive numbers.  Despite Bill James' lofty predictions Griffey is currently ranked 33rd in career runs, T-40 in doubles, 15th in RBI, 49th in hits, and 6th in home runs.  Those were pretty optimistic numbers there, Bill.  I like you.

1995 Conlon Collection In the Zone #8

Actually this may be my favorite, describing the similarities between Sunny Jim's and Junior's genial characters.  The other players in this set have some impressive names and stats, but I think this one nails it.

And the train keeps a-rollin’ with the two Promo cards which bring the completed set to ten cards.  These are identical to the regular cards apart from a big “Promotional” stamp on the back.  They were made only for card #’s 1 and 3.  You can view them here.

I cannot end this post without mentioning the only card that could be argued as missing from a Griffey collection, and that is the redemption card for #’s 7 & 8.  I have no idea what it looks like, and I assume it’s nothing fancy.  Like the old Stadium Club Membership Form cards of the mid-90’s, there were probably thousands of them that got thrown away.  It will likely be easier to find unopened packs of ’95 Conlon.  It’s on my radar.

Overall I've come to really love this set.  The printing is solid with lots of warmth and color, and the blurbs are fun to read regardless of my poking fun.  Nice work, Conlon.  Or Megacards.  Or The Sporting News. Or all of you.  Who knows?

Relic Sets From a Kmart Repack Box: Don't Expect Much

Let’s talk about Kmart.  I usually avoid this store as it never ceases to utterly depress me.  It’s like Wal-Mart but somehow noticeably more expensive and with a severely more limited selection.  It seems to exist in a constant state of renovation/reorganization, yet it always looks neglected.  Are they all like this or is mine the only one?

The one bright spot from the trip was that for the first time in recent memory the girl who checked me out was downright pleasant which is amazing to me in that environment.  If I owned my own business I’d have offered her a better job on the spot.  The parking was also pretty nice.  I guess that makes two bright spots.

Back to baseball cards.  I had an hour to kill while they put on my new tires and had no other option than to walk to the nearby Kmart to pass the time.  They had a card rack, if you can call it that.  Here is a short rundown of the selection at the Kmart card rack:

2007 Topps blaster

2010 Upper Deck blaster

Dust

2011 Topps Attax tin

Loose packs of 2013 Topps Series 1

Shame

A few discounted repack boxes

I took a closer look at the dusty blasters of yesteryear, studying them like a mustachioed British explorer in an ancient Egyptian tomb.  They weren’t discounted anywhere near what they should have been, but the repack boxes were.  

Ooh, pack of Upper Deck Masterpieces on the front.  Good start.  This one promised ten packs and two “relic card sets.”  Hm - that’s worded strangely.  What am I getting?

Oh, it’s a set comprised of a card and a small piece of cloth called a "relic."  And there are two of them.  Now I’m on the trolley.  And typical pulls include players like Cal Ripken, Jr. and Mickey Mantle.  I see.  This puppy may have been worth the $11.99 I spent on it.  Who did I get?  Babe Ruth and Ken Griffey, Jr.?  Probly.  Here goes……

David Wright and Ichiro.  Assuming these are genuine relics (which is probably hopelessly unprovable), this is not a bad pull from a $12 box that also includes ten packs.  What else was in there?

I've gathered that these are a dime a dozen since I see them everywhere.  I have a ton of them, too.  I can't go for the set, though, as it would steal focus from my amassing of Griffeys.

I love finding this brand in repacks.  They are a blast to bust.  I have a tough time putting them in the trade stacks - I want to keep them all, even if I don't collect the player.  Sadly, no Griffeys.

These are in the same boat as UD Masterpiece.  Fun to open, great cards in general.  Again, no Griffeys.

This is not a Griffey, but it is a sweet card.  I don't even mind the awful, awful UPS brown.

Can I bend your ear about Jake Peavy for a minute?  The good Lord has seen it fit to bestow upon me oodles of Peavy cards.  Good ones, too.  I feel like I am being tricked into collecting him.  I started putting his cards aside whenever I pull them just to see how many I can get, and the stack is getting pretty high.  So, who likes Peavy?  You want Peavy?  Take my Peavy!

A Votto rookie, Pujols in a run-down, and a pretty nice Helton trophy card.  Not that bad, except for the lack of Griffeys.

Here's a pair of some of my favorite catchers of the last 20 years.  Sadly I think that Piazza is my favorite pull from the entire box, "relic sets" included.

This is the closest to a Griffey I got.  

Pretty unsuccessful venture as repacks go, but not a total loss.  I passed some time and got some solid trade fodder.  Let the claiming begin!