2 40%-off 2011 Topps Series 2 Blasters

From Walmart:

Blackout!

They look awesome, but it sucks how ridiculously condition sensitive these things are.

And the last of the non-keeper Blackouts.

Get ur shine on..

Duos & 60s. Not much to say about these..

The lone gold. Not that it matters much. Let’s have gold parallels look like 2012’s Gold Sparkles from now on please..

Perhaps you like kicking it old school (or hair on the edge of your scan)..

The only original back I pulled. You’d think I would’ve remembered to scan the back, but no. This one is reluctantly available..

Tradercracks claimed these already..

Tradercracks also claimed this..

McCutchen is available though. But be forewarned that the patch is slightly loose on it..

That is all.  Everything not claimed by Tradercracks is available.  Thanks for stopping by!

Spin the wheel, make the deal…

Cards From Walmart

Sunday night I bought a pack of 2008 Upper Deck Timeline, 2008-09 Topps Treasury, and an 8 for $10 repack box that boasts an $18 value, at Walmart.  Uhh, hell NO!  A box with packs of cards from 1989 not named Upper Deck (Donruss and Topps specifically), 1994 Fleer Ultra, a 99 cent 6 card pack of 2007 Topps, three $1.99 packs (the dinky 5-6 card packs ’07 Upper Deck and Fleer Ultra, and regular-sized Topps), and only one $2.99 pack (Bowman Chrome) do not an $18 value make.

Well… maybe if your math works like Scott Steiner’s.

The sad thing is, even though you could hear the steam shooting out of my ears when I saw the old packs, I got better cards from those three than the five new ones.  First though, a break of Timeline and Treasury packs…

2008 Upper Deck Timeline (6 cards per pack; look for two inserts in each pack, on average!)

46 Torii Hunter

10 Chase Utley

36 Jim Thome- The Pride of Peoria, dontcha know.

9 Mark Teixiera

123 Max Scherzer Rookie- On a forgettable old school UD design…

301 Rick Ankiel- I guess this would be a subset of some kind.  Zero on the insert count though, unless they are trying to pass off the subsets as such.  If they are a bit harder to get, that would mean shortprint, not insert, so WTF Upper Deck?  There better be a 4 insert pack out there somewhere…

I mentioned in the shoutouts from my most recent post, these cards are FUGLY.  What an incredibly boring design.  At least Upper Deck X’s design fit it’s theme.  This is just so… blah.  As for the backs, they only have career stats and a little blurb, because of a second, different picture taking up half the back.  This giant picture on the back may be a dig at the 2008 Topps base set design, as this picture is nearly as large as the ones on their fronts.

That was observational comedy, my friends.  Onward to Topps Treasury!

2008-09 Topps Treasury (5 cards per pack; why isn’t Larry Bird on money?)

27 Zach Randolph- A big scoring presence that gets rebounds, but is still fairly soft nonetheless.  Still, a fair few teams are lacking the good things he brings.

60 Rip Hamilton

59 Jeff Green- My first Thunder card!  w00t!

83 Brandon Roy

120 Kosta Koufos Rookie Refractor #’ed to /2008- I assume this is a bronze.  This guy is a rookie Center for the Jazz it doth seem.  Here’s hoping for something better than Ostertagian for the ginormously tall youngin’.

The base design is simplistic, but it FITS THE THEME.  Lack of easily fingerprinted up gloss is nice too.  And the refractor version, much like what 2008 Topps Chrome baseball to the regular set, just makes it POP.

Now then, back to the recrap box.  We’ve established that the packs in it are even more garbage than usual.  Now for the contents of said packs.  I stated earlier that I got better cards from the 1989 Donruss and Topps, and 1994 Fleer Ultra, than the five packs from 2007 (6 and 12 card packs of Topps series 2, 5 card packs of Upper Deck series two and Fleer Ultra, and a 3 card pack of Bowman Chrome.

So here are the best of what I got from each.  You can judge for yourself.

Old Junk-

1989 Topps- Barry Bonds, Fred McGriff, Dwight Evans

1989 Donruss- Ken Griffey Jr. “Rated Rookie”, Lee Smith

1994 Fleer Ultra- Mike Piazza Award Winners insert, Roger Clemens, Kevin Roberson (<3) Rookie

New Junk-

2007 Topps- Joe DiMaggio “The Streak” 26 and 48, David Ortiz, Dan Haren Gold #’ed /2007, Brandon Morrow Rookie

2007 Upper Deck- Mark DeRosa?  The rest of the pack consisted of David DeJesus, Carlos Silva, Alex Rios, and Olmedo Saenz, so… there are no winners here.

2007 Fleer Ultra- Hideki Okajima Rookie

2007 Bowman Chrome- Either Chien-Ming Wang or 29 year old “Prospect” Jonathan Van Every.  Hmm… prospects are grim, methinks.

So whatcha think?

Griffey RC, Bonds, Pizza insert, Clemens, Lee Smith, the Crime Dog, and Dwight Evans

vs.

Two Joe D inserts that are cool but worthless, Okajima RC, Papi, Gold #’ed Haren, Chien-Ming Wang, and a pushing-30 prospect…

I didn’t even get any other good base cards in the 2007 packs.  They were remarkably similar to the old school packs in that regard.  A couple couple nice players, and then a whole lotta nothin’.  Only difference being there are a whole lot less cards in the new packs.

Overall, the Griffey rookie makes it worthwhile, but it still won’t make me tilt my thumb upward.  The Griffey is wonderful, but it’s the principle.  The packs in this thing were garbage enough that I actually mean it when I say “never again” to Walmart repacks, and maybe ALL repacks in general.  It’s just horrid to charge more than $6 for this CRAP.

Peace.

Yesterday Sucked

But today was much better.  I’ll explain later.  As you will see this was written right after I got home last night.  I got tired and lost my focus and was going to put in the links when I woke up this morning, but didn’t get around to it until Saturday evening.  Awkward additions and subtractions to make it fit that timeframe probably abound, so sorry about that.

Things started out so promising.  I got a full night’s sleep (approximately 9 hours) without waking up once.  That just doesn’t happen for me.  I ALWAYS wake up enough to know I’m awake at least once EVERY… SINGLE… NIGHT.  But it didn’t happen.  My dumb ass should’ve seen the signs that today was gonna blow though (yeah it both sucked and blew).

Around noon I finally got around to go downstairs because I wanted to get the things I had to do today done and be home… at very least before nightfall.  Didn’t have enough change to make the call I needed to so I got some food at Quick Stop to break a $10.  Too late I realized I couldn’t even get through till after 1:30 anyway.  I decided to stay downstairs and read a recent ESPN the Magazine while a guy came into the pool room and bumped up the pop machine’s price to 60 cents (from $0.50), not finishing up and going back to call until about 2:10pm, because my dumb ass has no sense of time.

It just couldn’t be simple today, so I ended up having to walk most of the way over to the parents place.  I usually just tag along when they go out to get groceries to get my own.  Immediately I noticed my ankle bothering me, but it wasn’t all that bad.  I was running on annoyance anyway, so worse pain still wouldn’t have kept me from doing it.  There was, admittedly, a positive of walking 1 1/2 miles on a progressively more hurting ankle, and that is that I got a free McRib and a few french fries out of the deal.  That’s gotta count for something, right?

So after finally, mercifully getting over there I showered and put together my trade with Boxbusters, which should be on it’s way by tomorrow afternoon (it’ll be out Monday actually, because tape is needed to further keep it protected and closed apparently… bleh.  Bailey, yours will be on it’s way then too (same deal, sorry).  After giving up on going out quickly I chilled at Jacky Muffin’s with the rest of the usual suspects on the parents’ computer, and didn’t get around to reluctantly leaving to go shopping until almost 7pm.  The silver lining here, because I like to try to find some good amongst crap, aside from Jacky Muffin/nakama time, which is pure heaven, was all-too-rare civilized conversation with my brother and learning what Nintendo has in store for us in 2009.

Finally to Walgreens, which turned out to be 15 minutes I’ll never get back.  Then to Target, which was just ungodly fail.  Took way too damn long and I didn’t even buy anything, because I wanted to check Walmart.  My ankle is hurting like a b*tch at this point as well.  Finally made it to Walmart and picked up everything I intended to get there and plenty of other crap I didn’t need (wicked hahdore Legend of Zelda T-shirt, I’m looking at you).  Unfortunately the two things I was going to get at Target but wanted to check at Walmart first was total bustage, so back to Target.  Gwahh.

Picked up my stuff and couldn’t pass up the Prime Paks hobby pack repack box.  6 hobby packs from recent times for $20.  Target packs have not been kind to me, but I’m a glutton for punishment it seems.  So finally back home… check that, place that I live.  Home is a place you feel comfortable and actually like.  This is… not home.  It’s after 10 f***ing 30 before I can finally get off my damaged ankle.  Lets bust some packs of baseball cards to put my mind at ease shall we?

Three retail packs (two Upper Deck X, one Baseball Heroes) from Walmart.

First pack’s XPonential was Victor Martinez (just the single X version, but a swank card nonetheless).  Nothing else of note.  One of the little pieces of the stupid lazy die cut card was still in it.  I popped it out and ate it.  What?

Second pack had a base Geovany Soto and XPonential X2 Manny Ramirez.  The universe hates me.  I popped out both pieces of the die-cut that were still in it and ate them.  Tasted better than lukewarm chicken taquitos.

Upper Deck Heroes.  This pack was talkin’ to me.  I just had a feeling there was something worthwhile in it when I picked it up.  Ichiro/Fukudome dual base card.  This is worth it because I collect both of them.  I wish I could tell Fukudome to relax at the plate.  It’s pretty clear he’s having issues up there.  Kinda almost jittery and not being patient like he was in the first half of the season.  Relax man, let the game come to you… it’s cliche, but just relax up there dude.

Now onto the six hobby packs from Target box (2006 Upper Deck Special F/X, 2006 Upper Deck Artifacts, 2006 Upper Deck Ovation, two 2003 Flair ~ wooooo!, and a 2003 Flair Greats ~ wooooo!!).

The regular Flair packs were all base.  Hee Seop Choi and Sammy Sosa are keepers.  The rest… meh.  And more stupid Dodgers to taunt me.  Come to think of it, Choi was a Dodger at some point.  Blah.  The cards look nice at least.

The Artifacts were all base and some Braves rookie that I don’t care about.  Joey Devine?  Any relation to TNA Jobber to the Stars Johnny Devine?

Ovation had another F***ing ManRam insert.  I got two different cards of so many guys.  Berkman, Abreu, Manny and Luis Gonzalez.  Maybe others, too tired to look.

Special F/X: Two for the base set I think.  I’m pretty sure I don’t have them.  I think I must be delusional to try and complete this base set.  Green parallel Zito checklist #’d /99, and a Dontrelle Willis insert I already had and sent to Mario when I sent the Miller SignaCut and Fergie auto.  I’m pretty sure it was in there.

Flair Greats had a SWANK Ron Santo base card, and a Nolan Ryan, and a Ripken, and a couple guys in black & white, which looks really trippy on this design, but one pack of all nifty base cards is not worth the price of admission, even with Santo.

This box sucked and wasn’t worth the money.  I wasn’t necessarily expecting a hit, but damn.  All base and worthless inserts.  Maybe I was expecting something.  Regardless, there’s $20 down the drain.  Unless you get lucky and pull a Carlos Quentin autograph, it really isn’t even remotely worth it.  I should’ve just picked up a box of Ultra SE off of eBay.  It wouldn’t have been that much more than the $24 + tax I spent (the Baseball Heroes pack was worth it).  I would’ve gotten at least as many cards and 5 hits.  Even if they sucked, it would’ve been nice to get a hit.  It’s been so long since I pulled one I’m not sure I even remember what they look like (yes I know I got two from Shane the other day, smartass).

Saturday will probably be bad too, because I have go out on this bum ankle again and deal with family as well.  But Sunday has some promise.  Since I have very few extra expenses this month, maybe I actually will try to get ahold of a box of Ultra SE in the near future.  Guaranteed hits are nice sometimes.  It may be a form of Victory by Default, but we already know that there are benefits to that.

Yesterday may have sucked, but today actually turned out to be nice.  Hope is always only a day away. 😉