Shiny for shiny’s sake – 1996 Pinnacle

If there’s one thing I love most about the junk wax era of baseball cards (and the years shortly thereafter), it’s the gratuitously shiny insert sets.

Long before there were refractors, xfractors, and superfractors, there was the Platinum Team from 1996 Score:

The scan doesn’t do the card justice, but it’s a complete mess of rainbow foil that’s blindingly reflective.

Card shop Friday

The weather’s warming up out here in San Diego, and if the sun wasn’t already burning a hole in my pocket, my cardboard funds most definitely were.

I’ve been having fun accumulating junk wax and setting it up for display in my home card shop/man cave/closet.  It’s a weird feeling, unopened wax.  If you never open it, you can’t be disappointed, so an entire box of anything unopened – no matter the era – is fun!  Seriously, try it.  A $10 box never felt so right.

I already had a few boxes in mind, and I did make it out of the shop with what I’d gone for (and then some, naturally), but the junk wax table had been refreshed so right off the bat I was thrown for a loop.  In order to save my bank account from a mega purchase, I simply reminded myself that if the boxes hadn’t sold for the past 20+ years, they’re not going to sell before I have a chance to make it back to the shop.  There was some great oddball items available, though, so I’ll most go back soon.

The first box I grabbed was 1992 Donruss, Series 2:

I regretted not picking this up a few weeks ago, actually.  I’ve still never pulled an Elite Series insert, which is amazing since they were numbered to 10,000, but that’s the junk era for ya.  Hopefully there’s one in this box (which I’ll rip slowly, so it at least gets some shelf time).

Next up, 1989 Fleer:

I’ve always, always, always wanted a Billy Ripken error card.  Sure, I could easily purchase one from COMC or ebay (or probably even the shop), but it’s FAR more fun to try to find one myself.  This box will also be ripped slowly.  No matter what’s inside, this particular box is already a winner.  As I was driving back to the office, I remembered that there were four cut-out cards on the bottoms of these, so I flipped over the box and saw this:

I refuse to call it MOJO, but it basically is.

On to the wax.  I wanted to pick up a pack of Chicle to see what all the hubbub was about, so I did:

And since I’d ended up having a little more cash on me than I thought I’d brought, I picked up a pack of 2010 Bowman.  Now, I understand that there’s a slight chance of there not being a Stephen Strasburg autograph in it, but I just wanted to say “I was there”.  If everyone else is busting Bowman, then I will, too!   And ya never know, this could be a $10,000 pack.  I’ll rip it (along with the Chicle) tonight.

Still more!  I’m picking up Joseph from daycare today (it’s usually mom’s job since she leaves work before I do), and one of my favorite memories from when I was young were the days when my dad would pick me up from preschool because it meant a trip to Grand City (we lived in Maine at the time) to get baseball cards.  Hence, my affinity for 1987 Topps.  Anyway, it’s my duty as a father to bring Joseph some packs to rip when he gets home.  I’d thought about taking him to the shop after daycare, but the shop is on the complete opposite side of the town, and he usually needs a nap around that time of day.  I’m avoiding a public meltdown.  Cheating, perhaps, but it’s sparing the sanity of everyone we’d come across.  You’re welcome, San Diego.

We’ll be ripping a pack of 2010 Opening Day, and if spirits are high and that pack goes well, 1995 Sportflix:

Still more!  One of the wax boxes must’ve been cheaper than marked (or perhaps there’s a discount for clearing out 21 year old wax), because the total was $2 less than I’d calculated in my head (and, obviously, $2 less than I came with).  I have no use for $2 – nevermind the fact that I could spend it on other things besides baseball cards, or even put it back in the card fund – so there was one other thing that had caught my eye on the clearance table.  This:

1990 Topps Traded, complete set!  With a sticker price of just $2, it was the perfect way to cap off the purchase.  The box is shaped weird, which I guess is why it caught my attention in the first place.  That, and the fact that it says it’s a “highly prized collectible set”:

I’m keeping this bad boy factory sealed.  Another week is coming to an end, and a trip to the card shop is always a great way to wrap it all up.  I’ll let you know if there’s anything good in either of the packs I purchased for myself.  Come on, Strasburg auto!

*UPDATE*

The Bowman pack was short a card, and of course it was a chrome.  When the whole draw of these packs are the chromes, I can’t help but feel a little burned.  I’ve fired off an email to Topps.  I realize it’s only one pack, and they probably won’t do anything about it, but I won’t buy any more Bowman at this price point.  Fool me once…

Die-cut craziness

Before there were pieces of jersey on cards, and waaaay before on-card certified autographs were even remotely attainable in packs, an entire other phenomenon was revolutionizing the trading card industry.

All of a sudden, cards weren’t perfectly rectangular.  They were die-cut.

I have no idea who started the craze, but I do remember Pacific taking it to an exteme.  They gave us Cramer’s Choice, which were triangle/pyramid shaped, and cards in the shape of Christmas ornaments.  They were extremely hard to find (in their infancy, that is) and commanded big bucks on the streets.  I didn’t purchase enough wax to find any, but before long everyone would try to cash in on the fad and they were a dime a dozen.

Some companies took it too far.  See: 2001 Fleer Ultra, #4 of 10 GH, “The Greatest Hits of Ivan Rodriguez.”

I don’t remember pulling this card in a pack (which is strange; considering the amount to which it’s cut, I was probably incredibly excited), but it’s certainly a ridiculous example of a die-cut card gone bad.  The rounded part is supposed to be a CD sticking out of a sleeve, which I’m guessing “contains” Rodriguez’s hits.  The “CD” part of the card is shiny, almost like a refractor, which doesn’t convey in the scan.  Considering that Pudge was the first catcher to ever hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases in a season, it was definitely appropriate that he was included in this insert set.

The song titles leave something to be desired.

“Don’t Run On Me” sort of makes sense.  Pudge will always be remembered for his arm, and because of him catchers everywhere think they can throw runners out from their knees.  Nobody ran on Pudge.  But “MVP – Most Valuable… Pudge”???  Seriously?  Is there a second or third most valuable Pudge that I should know about?  How about, “Armed and Dangerous”… just thought of that off the top of my head, and I don’t think there’s any question it’s better than what Fleer came up with. Not that better writing could’ve saved this insert, but perhaps they should’ve simply increased the font size on the first “track” to take up more space.  Does anyone have any other players from this set? I’m curious to hear what some of the other tracks are named.

CDs were soooo ’90s.  It wouldn’t have made for as good of a die-cut, but how classic would it have been to have a Pudge Greatest Hits… on MiniDisc?!