Eh, Oot, and Aboot: Trevor Reps Canada With Hardness

Trevor is my new favorite Canadian right up there with John Candy, Phil Hartman, and Donald Sutherland. He's a reader who had a bunch of great north-of-the-border cardboard that is tough to come across down here on the Third Coast.

Most folks have heard of Post Canadian - for some reason Post has always issued cards in a completely different design from their American counterparts. Here's a stack of some loose, some still-sealed late-issue Post Canadian cards, some of which will be making out to many of my fellow Griffey-loving bloggers.

There was even a pair of Cal's for good measure.

Those blue and white cards on the top right are the most prolific of all the Post Canadian Griffeys, and they're still real tough to find. The oversized number on the top-right is one I've never even seen before.

Here's the back of that card on the left. It's from America Online which makes sense for the time period and something called the Super Power Club which could be anything, really. Sounds vaguely Nintendo-related. On the right is yet another oversized Canadian oddball Griffey that's news to me. It's a 3D card I refuse to rip apart, but I bet it's awesome. Here's the back:

Will Clark and even Marquis Grissom got into the Canadian oddball game in the early 90's. I can tell you from experience, this trade package would have cost a fortune to replicate in the standard channels available to those of us in the U.S. Trevor saved me a fortune.

But what's a Canadian trade package without some hockey cards? Here's a nice pair of what may be the most famous T.J. alive today (sorry, T.J. Miller), T.J. Oshie. He is now with the Caps in Washington, but I am still very much ISO his Blues Jersey.

Plus a nice stack of Blues cards, including a big ol' sticker of one of my favorite logos in sports.

Thanks for the great stuff, Trevor! I have yet to build your return package, sir, but I've never missed one (that I'm aware of). I'll make it real nice. Also, is there a way to get poutine through the mail?

The Great Griffey Frankenset: Page 14

Welcome to Page 14 of 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 14 of the Great Griffey Frankenset:

Completeness of page: 9/9

Completeness of the Frankenset so far: 100% (126/126)

Team distribution so far: Mariners: 90/126 (71%), Reds: 33/126 (26%), White Sox: 1/126 (1%), No team indicated: 2/126 (2%)

Approximate retail value of this page: $229.50 ($2868.25 running total)

Page 14 Notes: I cannot explain it, but somehow this page ended up with a whopping four regular base cards from Fleer Ultra, Henceforth, Page 14 of the Great Griffey Frankenset shall be known as "The Ultra Page." Despite all the base cards, this particular page also includes a few desirable parallels including the refractor from '95 Finest. These tend to be easy to recognize and carry great resale value, so they're not all that hard to come across. The Artist's Proof from UC3, on the other hand, is a real bear of a find given the combination of scarcity and the barely-visible AP seal on the bottom of the card. Overall, the Ultra Page is a nice mix of the common and decidedly uncommon.

Page 14:

118. 1995 Finest #118 Refractor

I melt for '90's refractors. While those from '94 and '95 Finest run roughly the same scarcity as the '93, the latter commands a much higher price given its hobby significance. Regardless, the '95 is a personal favorite as it was the Finest set that was out when I was at my most into cards. Also the borders reveal mis-cuts pretty easily. The centering on this one is above-average for this set.

119. 2008 Topps Update & Highlights #UH119 Highlights Gold #/2008

The was actually a highly-contested spot with several above-average Griffey #119's available. In the end this lovely gold Topps issue commemorating Junior's 600th came out on top.

120. 1994 Ultra #120

It's a Buhner cameo and a rare instance of Junior looking right into the camera during a candid moment. Great set, too - nice use of foil.

121. 1997 Ultra #121

I bought a ton of this product when it came out, and it remains a favorite in the Ultra timeline to this day. The cards are all bright and the nameplate is casual and fun without looking cheap. You get holofoil on every card along with a nice card back, and check out the beautifully-timed swing shot. An excellent base card, as Ultra cards often were.

122. 1996 Pinnacle #122 Starburst

Another card number with a lot of contenders, but how could I pick anything else? This is one of my favorite Griffey base cards. I call it the superhero shot, and it belongs on a giant poster in my future son's room.

123. 1992 Ultra #123

'92 and '93 Ultra kind of run together a bit design-wise, but this first one is just a little better, IMHO.

124. 1995 Pinnacle UC3 #124 In Depth Artist’s Proof

I never really bought into the lenticular printing craze of the mid-90's. They've always seemed a blurry mess to me. Not that that's going to stop me from getting all the Griffeys, including this surprisingly rare Artist's Proof parallel. There are still several more I need to complete the '96 Beckett Tribute Checklist, but if I didn't have that project to finish off by year's end, I can't promise I'd be looking so hard for cards like this one.

125. 1995 Collector's Choice SE #125 Silver Signature

I would normally decry a card company double-dipping the way Upper Deck did in '95 with Collector's Choice and Collector's Choice SE, but both sets are so awesome that it's hard to be a naysayer. Here is a great, close-up action shot that is almost portrait-quality.

126. 1996 Ultra #126

This is as cool as cards get, Daddy-O. The Kid's just chillin', grindin', doin' his thang, feel me? Oh, this isn't a chair, you say? No stress - Junior can sit an anything and make it look easy-breezy. Reppin' that card numba 1-2-6, y'all. Soft R's all day. No diggity.

Thanks for reading, and look for Page 15 next Friday!

The Good Lord Does Not Want Me to Blog

I’ve been doing this for three years now, and never have I had such a long dry spell as this. I have four or five perfectly good posts waiting in the wings that need only a few scans to publish, and I still haven’t been able to find the drive to finish them. Even now in the most significant revival of Griffey fandom in well over a decade. It seems the moment the holidays began it’s been a whirlwind of activity, good and bad, that’s kept me away from the keyboard, and it shows no sign of slowing down.

Over the next few weeks I have my wedding anniversary, four family birthdays, two baby showers (both ours), several doctor appointments, and two expected funerals (as some of you may know, the only thing worse than having a funeral on your schedule is knowing that you’re going to have one very soon, you have no idea when it will be, and you just have to wait for the call – I have two of these). Thankfully the two-week Mardi Gras season begins at the end of this month. The distraction will be welcome.

On top of all that we’ve been putting the baby’s room together, building furniture, baby-proofing the house, rushing through all the home improvement projects we’ve been putting off (getting a new driveway poured as I type this), working out a budget (say goodbye to all those Griffey Holy Grails), and using any remaining down time to read baby books.

Oh, and my wife, having entered her third trimester, has officially caught the nesting bug. She’s a ball of energy, and she’s made numerous lists and gotten me on board with things I never thought I would be: relocate my scotch collection, let go of a great many possessions, and even give up cable.

Two bright spots: first, getting ready for this baby has been fun and rewarding. Second, she did let me buy a new turntable with my Christmas money:

This surprised me as we both know she’s really doing all the hard stuff what with that little squash-sized mini-me kicking and punching her from the inside.

Anyhoo, I’m writing this to let everyone know who’s sent me a trade package (and there are a bunch of you) that nothing is slipping through the cracks. I’ll be expressing my gratitude soon enough – just not as quickly as I would like. Heck, I’m writing this very post while in-between appointments at work. I’m not even sure I’ll make it to the computer tonight to post this (it’s currently Monday the 11th – was I successful?).

Oh, and on top of everything David Bowie died yesterday. The hits keep coming.

The Great Griffey Frankenset: Page 13

Welcome to Page 13 of 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 13 of the Great Griffey Frankenset:

Completeness of page: 9/9

Completeness of the Frankenset so far: 100% (117/117)

Team distribution so far: Mariners: 82/117 (70%), Reds: 32/117 (27%), White Sox: 1/117 (1%), No team indicated: 2/117 (2%)

Approximate retail value of this page: $672.50 ($2638.75 running total)

Page 13 Notes: I mentioned before that there will be a few statistical outliers when it comes to page value, and this is one of the ones I was talking about. One card on this page makes up about 23% of the retail value of the entire frankenset so far. In addition to that we have a very weird little sticker that is miraculously numbered to exactly what we needed to complete the page, an iconic gold signature from the first year of Collector's Choice, and - holy moley - is that another sticker?

Page 13:

109. 2001 Pacific #109

I don't see this set mentioned often, but it's sadly one of the last of the Pacific brand. This is one of those cards I keep coming across on COMC and buying, thinking I don't have it yet. As a result I have three or four hanging around in the overflow box. Not a lot to the design apart from a very bold nameplate, but the fielding shot is a beaut.

110. 1993 Finest #110 Refractor

What can I say that hasn't already been said? This is the greatest card #110 in any set of cards ever.

111. 1993 Upper Deck Fun Pack #111 Wall Stars Glow Stars

When I was a young'un, I peeled a few of these and stuck them onto the walls in my closet. One was a Cal Ripken. And yes it glows, but just the outline which really comes in handy when you're sorting in the dark. I'm kidding, of course. There's nothing I can do in the dark with my Griffey cards (that I'm willing to admit to).

112. 1991 Studio #112

Look at this young dude right here. Do you think he knows that 25 years from now he'll be in his kitchen with his wife getting the call from Cooperstown? Actually, look at him. I think he kind of does know. Keep ya head up, Kid.

113. 1996 E-XL #113

I think we can all agree that Emotion X-L was a baddass brand in 1995, all glossy and full-bleed. This year it was neither of those. We still get the one-word description, but is that an exclamation point I see? Eew. The big foil seal and green border help this one along a lot.

114. 1993 Upper Deck Fun Pack #114

WOOO!!!!! That's not just regular fun - that's Saved by the Bell credits fun! But seriously, how did he get so high up?

115. 1992 Red Foley Stickers #115

As you can see its getting a little desperate here finding cards in the right numbers, and it's only going to get worse. There are no identifying marks anywhere on this sticker (the back is blank), but it's #115. That's kind of the only thing we really know about it. That being said, I still like it better than the Fun Pack Glow Stars at #111.

116. 2005 Bazooka #116

This is actually a beautifully put-together card and a shoe in for this slot. It's not just the fun comic book font - that photo is above-average for any base card. Is it time for another Bazooka comeback?

117. 1994 Collector's Choice #117 Gold Signature

Speaking of a great photo...I think we can all agree this is better than the old lady shot from the following year. I can only hope the photographer got out of the way in time.

Here is the back of Page 13:

Thanks for reading, and look for Page 14 next Friday!

Plaque Buildup I Can Live WIth

I know I've been kind of absent from the blogsphere over the last few weeks, but I thought tonight would be a great time to poke my head out of the sand for a moment.

It's official - Junior got 99.3% of the votes, the highest ever. I had plans to make it to the induction somehow, but now with a little one on the way that probably isn't in the cards. I am excited, though, that when I do make it to Cooperstown someday I'll get to see the Kid's face on a plaque. Now that'll be a Wallet Card photo.

And let's not forget about Mike Piazza, one of my favorite guys to collect in the 90's. The Kid is in great company. Well deserved, all. It's a great day for 90's collectors!

Oh, and we can do this now:

The Great Griffey Frankenset: Page 12

Welcome to Page 12 of 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 12 of the Great Griffey Frankenset:

Completeness of page: 9/9

Completeness of the Frankenset so far: 100% (108/108)

Team distribution so far: Mariners: 75/108 (69%), Reds: 30/108 (28%), White Sox: 1/108 (1%), No team indicated: 2/108 (2%)

Approximate retail value of this page: $73.00 ($1966.25 running total)

Page 12 Notes: It's New Year's Day - what are you doing reading this?!?

Page 12:

100. 1995 Upper Deck #100

My favorite Upper Deck design featuring my favorite Upper Deck base card photo of the Kid at bat in Seattle blues. It’s not a game (no helmet) nor a home run derby (hat isn’t backwards), and yet there appears to be a crowd in the stands. Lord knows where this photo came from, but it’s perfect. The subtle shading near the borders of the ’95 set make the colors on this card explode. Especially that hat. A better choice for #100 there is not.

101. 1994 Studio #101

This year Donruss went back to what appear to be real studio portraits superimposed over locker backgrounds. The Griffey portrait, though, looks like it was taken in a dugout, so exceptions do exist just as they did in the ’92 set. Still, this is one of my favorite base cards of that year. Lots of different hats, bat, jerseys – I mean I’m sure it was dressed up a little before the photo was taken, e.g. no deodorant can, nothing dirty or gross, and it appears to be clean as a whistle. You won’t convince me a 25-year-old millionaire athlete kept his locker this orderly.

102. 2005 Leaf Limited #102 #/699

Papery foil cards are dark and fragile regardless of the set they’re in. Hence, I am just not crazy about them. Whatever design goes into them seems to blend into the background haze anytime you scan them. It’s a little clearer in person, but given the choice of almost any other card for #102, I’d have gone with something else. Sadly, not many #102 Griffeys exist.

103. 1994 Flair #103

On the other hand there are several #103’s of the Kid, and this one is head-and-shoulders above the rest. Flair continued for years but never looked as good as it did in the early 90’s. This is one of my favorite nameplates from any Fleer-branded base card.

104. 2013 Select #104 Prizm

This card is different in that it is a post-retirement Griffey that depicts him as a Red. Most cards after 2010 had him in a Mariners uniform as that is his first, last, and heritage team. It will also certainly be his Hall of Fame team when he is inducted next year.

105. 1994 SP #105 Die-Cut

Yeah, it’s an early SP card and yeah, it’s got that classic Upper Deck arch die-cut, but forget all that. It’s the photo that’s the best part of this here card. Dude just frickin’ launched one all easy-breezy and let the bat drop to his side gangster-style, he’s got his arm swinging out front like he’s swaggering into the club all VIP, and look at his face – he looks like he’s about to nod off and nap. This is a new style I am dubbing “gangsta effortless.”

106. 1990 Star Platinum #106 /1000

Ugh – just UGH. Star SUCKS. But it’s card #106, so we need it.

107. 1996 Metal Universe #107

Still one of my favorite sets of all time, there’s never been anything like Metal Universe since those first two sets. While the ’97 set is a lot more polished and detailed, that doesn’t take anything away from the ’96 set which was way ahead of its time. I’d love to see someone take another stab at this concept. If you ask me, Fleer/Skybox did it perfectly.

108. 2001 Fleer Showcase #108 AvantCard

These appeared in the Fleer Showcase base set as short prints, but it’s not a subset. This is an early example of a true short-printed base card. I suppose it got its name from the term avant-garde, and compared to the regular base cards it is pretty avant-garde, I guess. I would call it “blurry with a purpose,” but avant-garde is good, too.

Here's the back of Page 12:

Thanks for reading, and look for Page 13 next Friday!

Wallet Card Wednesday: Universal Studios Edition and the Future of Wallet Card?

Here we are - the final Wallet Card Wednesday of 2015. It's been a heck of a year, and I'd like to thank everyone who bothered to indulge this series of very not-baseball-card-centric posts. And a big up to Gavin, of course, of Baseball Card Breakdown for creating the whole thing.

Here are a bunch of photos from the two Universal Studios theme parks in Orlando, Florida.

Each section of Universal's Islands of Adventure was a different world. Examples include Dr.Seuss, Marvel Superheroes, and Jurassic Park as you can see above. The detail is fantastic.

But nowhere was the attention to detail more prevalent than in the amazing Wizarding Worlds of Harry Potter. This is a view of Hogwarts from Hogsmeade.

Ollivander's is on the right. That's where we got our wands. Yes, we bought wands. We weren't leaving there without wands.

Butterscotch cream soda in case you were wondering. Very tasty, and sadly, non-alcoholic.

The Griffey ended up in all kinds of strange places and got dropped more than once.

I was glad to see Woody Woodpecker is still all over the damn place at Universal. I was not surprised that most of the kids did not know who he was.

Diagon Alley is at the other park. Here you can visit Grigott's and watch the dragon blow fire. Not pictured: Knockturn Alley which was pretty much my favorite place at both parks.

That is, until we got to the Simpsons area.

This gigantic donut is the real deal and the most reasonably priced item I found at either Universal park. It was much tastier than I was expecting.

Orange soda and dry ice, in case you were wondering.

How perfect is this?

Not a Griffey to be had.

Don't get me wrong: everything is just a glorified gift shop or food court, but the detail was amazing. I was all tingly.

 
I would consider this a strong candidate for Wallet Card photo of the year.

So yeah...

As you can see Universal required far less walking than Disney, but still far more than your average Joe walks in a day.

So that's it. Now what?

Should I continue into the new year with the Wallet Card? Or should I retire the old girl before she falls apart? I've considered sending it in to BGS and getting it slabbed, maybe taking wagers on the grade. I've also considered continuing to carry the Griffey and only taking photos sparingly which means no more Wallet Card Wednesday. What do you think? Suggestions welcome below.

Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year to you and yours...