Kick-Off In Buffalo

 This seems like the perfect day to showcase the Bills content in my COMC to-be-posted box!

And all I have is this. This isn't even a Bills card, as it features the one who is probably now their number #1 WR with a photoshopped Boise State Broncos uniform. I'd probably be a little more worried about him at #1 if I still didn't have sweet, sweet memories of his TD against the Steelers in the playoffs.

I can't end it with a one-and-done, so here's a small selection of other misc. football cards in the box.

Like a Mr. Irrelevant! Ryan would make more appearances on Bachelorette episodes than during NFL games. But hey, he still got closer to the NFL than I, or anybody reading this, ever will. So, good for him! On both counts.

Appreciate the beauty of a Running Back throwing the football on a base card. Wildcat!

I know it is Stadium Club, so sometimes one has to think outside the box when it comes to their photos. This, however, makes me wonder how far away from the box they were when they opted for this choice. 

This photo was certainly a choice. 

Especially when the photo on the back would work just fine for the front. 

This was the only card that Council Rudolph would get in his career. That's a shame, with a name as great as that. Even more of a shame is that it was with the dreadful expansion Bucs. But the reason this was odd comes from the jersey he's sporting in the photo. That's obviously Houston Oilers blue...

who he played for 3 seasons ago. So, they actually took a photo that could have been used, but wasn't, for a card in 1972. And they couldn't even find a more recent photo. I feel sorry for him having to show off "his card" only for it to be an old photo.

But there you have it!

Mailbag: Cards on Cards

 Today, the contents from the usual 3-PWEs that showed up in my mailbox.

#1 and the best was this Alec Bohm entry, which puts the final touches on the non SP portion of my Heritage set build. With my COMC shipment on the way - only 23 more SPs to wrap up the 500. WOO-HOO!

Mets content! Mostly super shiny as well! The Scherzer is a 3D version, which allows for the Photoshop job to shine through even more clearly.

Both Blue Jays entries were of the numbered variety. And both really act as a personification of the team this year, Manoah's mostly been injured, and Orelvis made his MLB debut, only to get a PED suspension days later. 

The baseball continues with the 2/14 cards, with Jim Kelly acting as an interloper. Despite actually busting some UK packs in repacks, I had no idea that I actually had a chase card available in the set with Yermin Mercedes. This puts his total at 36, with a whopping 29 more on their way in my latest COMC shipment. That will tie him with Scott Scudder for second overall among the baseball portion, with them both trailing John Marzano by 3 (although it will become 5 when the mailer arrives)

Over to basketball, which was the bulk of the contents, starting with the local kid.

And that leads into three scanner beds filled with Raptors content. This really does highlight the turnover for the team, especially the past 9 months or so.  Barnes, Dick, Quickley. That's it. At least I'll probably be adding a few new faces in 2024-25 releases.

There you have it!

E-Packing

 

Just a scanner bed worth of Compendium cards I either traded for on e-pack, or bought cheaply at COMC. The main reason for all of these being that I didn't have too many cards of any of these players, or many on the team they're pictured with. 

Bonus: Learning that Pheonix (sic) Copley has one of the most interesting birthplaces in hockey.

And let's throw in an autograph to go along with it. DeFazio managed two NHL games over his professional career, but it is still two more than I!

There you have it!

It's Grrreat!

 

Like I'm going to pass on a chance to add a relic of the short-lived Greenville Grrrowl to my collection. It featuring a future Ottawa Senator in Mike (distant relation) Brodeur to the collection is even better.

And it is also an alternate jersey too! 

Beckford-Tseu made it into one game for the Blues, so both of these guys were future NHLers, even if they didn't have long careers.

There you have it!

2024 Adventures in Repacks - Part 22s

 

The finale from the last shipment of repacks. Restock time! Opening with Frank Gore with one of the 17 teams he played with during his 31 year career.

Looking behind Gore, that Brunell is somewhat of a surprising entry as a base card in a set. But I guess if you're going for franchise history with Jacksonville, it really feels like it will have to be either Brunell or Fred Taylor. Bills content! Otto Graham brings some far more interesting history with his appearance. Also, an OL appearance.

That's followed up with an amazing base card entry from Pro Set's attempt at an upper-tier release with Platinum. A great sequence of shots, with it dated to a specific play that is described in detail. 

Here's another card game dated, but a guy just standing around during an eventual loss really doesn't grab you the same way as the first does. Even then, the game actually took place on 11/26, as per research I did on a previous card I wanted to game-date. But we do get another OL appearance, and a great use of a horizontal format of a running back breaking through a hole.

Why not have a third game-dated card in this? While the photo isn't necessarily from the listed date, this time it is the relic that is linked to a specific date.

And this one also includes a write-up, and one far more flattering than the one on the Chuck Smith. He didn't reach the 100 yard mark, but 2 TDs in a victory is certainly worth highlighting. At least Washington won respectably, and didn't get splattered on the game referenced.

The Maclin was the finale in this. Pretty blah for the final portion, but a pair of kicker cards elevate it to semi-greatness.

There you have it!

Rugby's Second! Or First?

My second rugby addition to the 2/14 collection, joining Zinzan Brooke. He's the first true rugby card though, as Brooke's was a Sportkings entry. 

Thankfully, Faron Anderson passed the google test to become the first true rugby card in the collection.

The google test being "Does he show up as having done horrible, loathsome acts on the first page".

For not being a scumbag, that deserves to have the back shown off as well! Perfect year as well! And probably the first appearance of the word pacy.

There you have it!

I Have an Excuse

 Earlier this month, when I recapped a blaster of WWE Chronicles, I had no explanation as to why I didn't do it before or the weekend of Summerslam. As for this:

I threw this into the cart yesterday morning at Wally World.

Here's the base cards. At least there's a speckled element to the design, so these chrome cards aren't quite as bad for showing off every speck of dust on the scanner. Or I can just blame the design. Scorpio Sky is a really fun wrestling name.

Parallel time! These Rainbow Red parallels fall 1:12 packs in these retail packs. In an interesting coincidence of collation, the only other pack I busted of this also contained a Jade Cargill parallel, that being a table variety which are easier pulls in this, but are also retail exclusive and not in e-packs. Which do I like better? Given the flashiness of Jade's look, probably this one.

Parallel #2 to wrap up the pack. These Orange Slice parallels are 1:24 in this, and it is the perfect time to get this coming off his win on Saturday.  Also with this, the arm position works perfectly with the die-cut here. Including a die-cut on a parallel with Slice in the name? Also perfection! 

There you have it!

Forgotten Packs - Part 3

 More packs that were long ago set aside, that I'm finally posting.

I have no idea why it took so long to get to something like 2007 Bowman Heritage - but it did!

That Mets card is spectacular. The Ferris wheel in the background really plays into the prospect feel you get from a Bowman release, since that's the Wonder Wheel in Brooklyn - home of the Mets' minor league Cyclones. Despite the Ferris Wheel's inventor, George Ferris, being a 2/14 baby, and that I have a couple A&G cards featuring it in my 2/14 collection, that card will not count.

Also, Joe Crede and Carlos Lee have nice facsimile sigs.

For those that want to play a game of matching the photo/sig to the player, here's the backs of the cards of all the players in the pack without printed names on the front.

Franchise Flashbacks, an insert set devoted to retro uniforms, was one of only a handful of insert sets I just had to complete. Fortunately, it was in a super low-end set like Opening Day. Aside from that, pretty boring pack.

Now a drawn set - that's definitely more my speed.  With Bregman and Bellinger, there's some pretty good rookie content here. Jesse Winker was a Mets hero earlier in the week, but it is still somewhat disappointing to find so much rookie content in a set that could have had really fun veteran content over a limited base set.

But that Yount is spectacular.

With it, the Smith in Heritage and the Rizzo in Opening Day, at least all the packs had at least one interesting card.

There you have it!

I Can't be Trusted with Money

 Or at least COMC credit. 

I bought this. I wasn't a fan of the show, so I have no explanation as to why.

I feel that Norman Fell is judging me for doing so.

Imagine what Mr. Roper would think if he knew I added this to my inventory yesterday.

2020 Topps Chrome Box Break

What? It wasn't too expensive - let's look for some shininess.

But first, some interesting photos and a big name. Moncada also provides the card that works the best with the design. 

The only Mets content was base content. Better than nothing! 

Here's the base refractors. That Demeritte looks even nicer with him rocking the alternate jersey on a shiny card. In fact, all three of the horizontal cards rock with some great photos.

The Prism ones. Nothing too exciting in these versions, but I guess the Springer is the most unique in the photographic sense. 

My only numbered parallel. Even if it isn't a team colour match, the green wave parallels work with the green of the Wrigley ivy behind the visiting team. This one is /99.

The inserts. The big winner here is easily that die-cut Aaron. The alternate uniform of Hoskins is the closest to dethroning it, but close is more like distant second to the winner.

I may not have gotten a team color match for the one parallel, but I certainly got one for the first of the autographs. Even if it isn't a huge name, it is aesthetically pleasing. 

As for auto #2.

Womp. Womp.

If this had been live, I would have sent it to Night Owl. I'll probably still do so - maybe there will be better luck in turning this into something on that side of the border.

But there you have it!