Thanks, but no thanks, Topps.

Hey everyone, Drew back here today, with a post that has been delayed longer than any other post in the history of this website! On July 15th, 2012, my Dad, friends Schuyler, Connor, and I all met up at a local card show at the Mid Hudson Civic Center. At that show, we not only met Whitey Ford, but we also won a door prize and I came home with a Tino Martinez signed baseball. Plus, my Dad got me a beautiful Mariano Rivera signed 16x20 for my collection. Boy, those were the days. Also, that was the same day I bought and activated two redemption cards from my 2011 Topps Tier One set; the relics they were supposed to make of Rickey Henderson and Ryne Sandberg. These have been the last two cards I have needed to complete my set ever since that day.

And well, they're clearly not making them. Topps is far past their 2011 Tier One set, instead focusing on this year's product, leaving behind all of the now expired redemption holders in the cold. It really is a shame, as I was particularly excited to have the Henderson card, but sure enough Topps found a way to disappoint. After waiting over a year and a half for the cards with no response, I emailed Topps Customer Service and spoke to someone who said my cards would be replaced and handled within 6-8 weeks. Two months later, I was still left in the cold (keep in mind about $40 was spent on the two cards), but I continued to keep my faith in the company, hoping they would eventually pull through.

Another year passed, until I finally decided to give it another shot; this time with a little bit more of a temper. I normally don't like to raise my temper, but this was something I grew livid about as two and a half years of my life went by. And you may ask, why didn't I just throw in the towel and give up? The simple answer is because I don't like giving up when I know there is something I have purchased or earned. More promises were made by Customer Service, and this time they actually delivered. I was hoping they would provide me with cards that would fulfill my PC's, especially considering how fed up I was over this situation. I let them know who I collect, and they said they couldn't make any promises as to what I would receive. For once, they actually prepared me for a letdown.

Albert Pujols is a tremendous player, and easily one of the best players I've had the privilege of watching in my lifetime. This 2013 Museum Collection card is beautiful, featuring four pieces of material; 3 bat relics and 1 red jersey relic. It is numbered 98 of 99, adding to the overall value of the card, which I presume was meant to match the Henderson card. But this is not what I purchased; if I wanted to spend $25 on an Albert Pujols relic I would have went to eBay and done that myself. The best part about this, as well as the next card, is that I finally have some trade bait. Again, I do appreciate all that Albert Pujols has done for the game, but I would've taken a Joe Panik autograph instead of these two cards any day.

The only saving grace of this 2013 Allen & Ginter Bruce Sutter relic is thanks to Sutter's beautiful facial hair. Otherwise, it's a very dull card, to be honest. I just listed Sutter as one of my most undeserving Hall of Famers, and I really don't have any need for this in my collection. I understand his place in baseball history as one of the better relievers of his era, and I'm sure someone else reading would love to own this, and if that is the case I'd love to work something out.

All in all, I'm pretty frustrated still with Topps despite finally sending me something. I get that the two cards I was given equalled the Beckett value of the cards I was waiting on, but there was more to it than that. I stopped buying Topps cards for the most part of two years in a row because their Customer Service was so lackluster, and you would think the company would provide the care for their customers a little better than just throwing two cards I don't want or need at me. With this, I am now officially done with the 2011 Topps Tier One set; it ended on a bitter note, but at least I can say I have some nice cards from that set to drool over.

Thanks but no thanks, Topps. Comment below if you're interested in either card.

See Ya!

The Fat Man Fell Down My Chimney! Christmas Set Completion!

Hey everyone, Drew back here! Before I get to anything, I just want to wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc. Happy Holidays! I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday, because I certainly did! I got some really great pieces to show off over the next week or so for you guys, and I really hope you enjoy them half as much as I do! We'll start with this beauty, one that just so happened to complete a pretty darn nice set of mine...

The Great Bambino was able to climb down the chimney (surprisingly) and he just so happened to land in my stocking! Out of 2011 Topps Tier One, this Babe Ruth relic was the final piece I needed to complete the 50 card set! Unfortunately, two of the cards have been redeemed but still haven't made their way from Topps, even though 2012 Tier One has been out for months and preview images of 2013 Tier One were released yesterday. However, even if they don't ever make Rickey Henderson and Ryne Sandberg's cards, I will have the set complete.

I never dreamed to own a piece of Babe Ruth's anything. Whether it be a piece of his hat, a hair follicle, jersey, undershirt, belt, pants, jockstrap, glove, shoe, bat, or anything; I never thought that I'd be able to have any of Ruth's memorabilia. Even though the relic has lost a lot of its appeal to me, there is still a whole lot that is special about this card, and the whole set for that matter. Tier One offered collectors a fairly affordable opportunity to own pieces of the game's classic players such as Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx, Cobb, and Hornsby, which is awfully hard to find nowadays. I probably wound up spending a good $400 myself on the set, but William helped out with the Gehrig and Aaron, and my dad certainly helped out a ton as well. I couldn't have done it without you guys, and it means a lot that you wanted to help me with my goals!

This Ruth card has instantly became one of the all time favorites in my collection. One day, I'll have to post pictures of the entire set, but I'd like to hear back from Topps about the final two cards before I do so. It may be complete, but those white fillers just haven't sat well with me since I've gotten them. 

Anyway, once again, Merry Christmas everyone! And thank you Mom & Dad! See Ya!

Check Out My Cards via Check Out My Cards!

Hey guys, Drew back here! So, school is in session once again, which normally means something along the lines of a semi-hiatus on the blog. I hate doing it, but I have to do it, especially due to the difficulty of junior year. But, the homework load was light tonight, and I didn't feel like getting ahead of myself, so here are a few cards I got in from Check Out My Cards the other day!

First, out of the new Topps Tribute, I got the Robinson Cano base card. I figured with the extra bit of store credit I had, I'd knock this one out considering it's rare for a blogger to send out Tribute cards in trades. Who could blame us, they look incredible?

Please, don't judge. Over the years, you've seen me post stuff about Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Aerosmith, and a lot of other old bands. However, my music taste is very diverse, and it does indeed extend to rap. Jay-Z is obviously one of the biggest rappers to ever exist in the industry, and his older music definitely was influential to a lot of young rappers today. I'm not a Lil Wayne fan, and don't get me started on Nicki Minaj, but Jay-Z, along with 2Pac, Biggie, Eminem, and a few others I definitely am a fan of.  

Getting back to baseball, here's a 2002 Donruss Team Heroes autograph of current Yankees closer Rafael Soriano! It's been weird seeing somebody other than Mariano Rivera close out games, but for the most part, he's been just about untouchable. I guess Brian Cashman really did know what he was doing by signing this guy a couple of years back. I find it funny that I picked this card up for about $3 when he was first signed by the Yankees, and I didn't ship it until just now. Oh, the joys of store credit. 

Well, I had to get these for the Tier One set. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bought them. I do like David Wright, and I'm glad to see he's having a solid year again. I love the black Beltran relic though, despite not being a big fan of his. He's ok, I guess.

THIS guy was just a bit better than ok! I absolutely love the look of the Johnny Bench relic, and I'm glad I finally picked this one up. Now, the only card remaining in the set that I need is the Babe Ruth dual relic, which I plan to ask for this Christmas! If I get it then, it would be one year total since I started the set, which is a relatively quick time for a rather expensive set! 

The final two cards from my order happened to both be of the Jets variety, and it's only fitting that I show them after their beautiful butt-whipping of the Bills yesterday, 48-28! It was the most points they ever scored in an opening season game, and Mark Sanchez looked terrific! I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high, but it was certainly encouraging.

As for the card, this one was out of 2011 Topps Inception, a Bilal Powell rookie relic autograph numbered out of 75. Rex Ryan is a big fan of Powell for his quickness and agility, and I hope he has a fairly decent role on the team this season. Shonn Greene bores the light out of me, so maybe this guy could get a few more opportunities!

This guy, on the other hand, doesn't need any introduction! Out of 2011 National Treasures, this Darrelle Revis Pro Bowl relic certainly was a great way to cap off my purchase! Revis played a good game yesterday, having an interception early on. Unfortunately, his day ended after Bart Scott's cleat happened to fall towards his head, and he received a mild concussion. I hope for the best that Revis is ok, and that he'll be ready to go by next Sunday, especially since we're playing the Steelers. The card here is numbered only 30 of 99.

Like I said before, no promises on how often I'll be around in the coming months, but I'm going to make an effort to check in once in a while! Thanks everybody!

See Ya!

Enormous Addition to the Tier One Set!

Hey guys, Drew back here! The last few days I've been working on putting junk wax into sets in my basement, so that would explain my absence. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, more fun than sorting hundreds of stacks of 1993 Donruss and 1991 Topps. (note the sarcasm) Anyway, I recently pulled the trigger on one of the bigger Tier One cards I needed for my set. Take a look:

Mickey Mantle. Dual relic. A few years ago when I opened my first hobby packs and first posted to YouTube and my old Weebly blog, I would have never believed I would come this far. At my first few cards shows, I used to dream if I would ever be able to own stuff like this. And while it isn't quite an autograph, it's still a beautiful card. Numbered only 18 of 99, this relic of my favorite old time Yankee (besides maybe Munson) is neck and neck with the Gehrig dual relic William gave me as the best relic in my collection! 

The best part? I put a $75 bid on the card because I had to go out when the auction was ending. I came home to find that I won it for only $40! It was a great relief and I'm so glad I jumped on that auction! 4 More relics to go and then I have the set complete!

Johnny Bench, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, and well, the Great Bambino to go. But I'm going to get it done by the end of this year, I guarantee it! 

See Ya!

Two Playoff Heroes in my Tier One Set!

Hey guys, Drew back here! I realized I've been really on an eBay kick lately, and some of this stuff is really starting to pile up. I showed you all the beautiful Hank Aaron dual relic that William got me the other day, and said I now own 45 of the relics. However, I completely forgot to show two others that were part of those 45, so I might as well get to them now. Take a look:

I'll do this one first, because I know if this guy was reading this he'd prefer to be first. Yes, this is indeed the Reggie Jackson relic. Sure, Reggie has been making some controversial comments lately, but what he did back in October of 1977 sealed the legend of Mr. October. I like Reggie, but his recent comments definitely were a bit overboard. I don't think he has the entitlement to determine who should or shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame, especially when he owns the All Time record for strikeouts. Nonetheless, cool card, and I'm glad "the straw that stirs the drink" is welcomed in the Tier One set. 

This guy on the other hand, plays entirely with his arm, not his mouth. Roy Halladay is a class act in every definition of the word, and although he's having a terrible year cluttered with injuries and mediocre performances, you can't bet against the guy coming back strong. He's had a heck of a career, but I'll always remember him for the postseason shows he's put on. Even though he couldn't top Chris Carpenter in the 1-0 shootout in the NLCS last year, that was easily the best pitchers dual I've witnessed. Maybe not quite Smoltz/Morris, but for me, it's #1. And who can forget his no hitter in the postseason? Only Don Larsen has done better. Unreal. Again, he is very deserving of being included in this set, and I'm glad I was able to knock him off as well.

Two great cards, adding to an incredible set. I made a big purchase tonight for one of the two big boys I needed, so, I'd say within the next few months, this set will be history (minus the two redemptions I'm waiting for Topps to ship out)! It's been a long, but fun ride. Thanks to everyone who contributed!

See Ya!

Birthday Gift from William!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Well, my crazy friend William over at foul bunt still insists to treat me to birthday gifts, which is unnecessary, yet so nice of him at the same time. This year, he decided to really help me out with the set I'm putting together! Take a look:

First off, he caught me up a few products I barely opened, Archives & Heritage! I have hardly opened any products this year at all, mainly because of the high prices, so I definitely appreciate when he goes out of his way to keep me in the loop with all of you other guys out there. With that said, I can tell Archives seems to be a pretty fun product. I love the Mattingly card as well as the Rivera, which uses the 1971 Topps design. 

If I opened anything this year, it was Bowman, and that's only because I bought two rack packs in Yankee Stadium. Outside of that, I haven't even opened the flagship product. Although I did have some Bowman already, I didn't have any of these 4 cards, which was awesome! The Custodio blue refractor looks great, and although I don't really know who he is, I love the Yankees blue refractors. Dante Bichette Jr. has been sitting towards the top of my wantlist for a little while now and I'm glad I finally got my first cards of last year's first round pick!

William also picked up these two nice numbered cards of Thurman Munson and Bucky Dent at a LCS for me! I didn't have either of them and they both have very nice all around designs. I'm definitely a big Munson fan, and since he doesn't seem to have too much out there, this was welcomed nicely into my home!

But, the highlight of the package was without a doubt this Tier One dual relic of the true home run king, Hank Aaron! Aaron's relic was one that I did not expect to land for a long time because it certainly isn't pocket change for a guy like me, so this gesture was just way too kind by one of my best friends. Thank you so much William for the really awesome gift! 

With this card, I now have 45 of the 50 relics in the set! I'm planning on knocking off 3 of them really soon, which will then leave two more big names to complete the set: Mantle & Ruth. Wish me luck, and once again, thank you so much William, you don't know how much I appreciate all the great things you've done for me. 

See Ya!

July 14th MHCC Card Show Recap Part 1!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Yesterday was an incredible day in the life of a young collector from New York, as he managed to meet a Hall of Famer from his favorite team and get spoiled to no end all day long! Fortunately enough, that young collector happened to be me yesterday, as Dad, Schuyler, Connor, and I all made it out to a local card show run by the good guys at JP's Sports! This was the first time their company made the trip closeby to my house, and the turnout was ok for the most part. It wasn't a terrible showing, but it could've been a lot better. However, that didn't affect the 4 of us, as we still had 100 tables to look at and 3 autograph guests to meet! And, well, we still went crazy.

Dad and I's goal for the show was to knock off cards from the two big sets I've been working on. I didn't come with as much money as usual, because I was planning on saving up for next months even bigger show. But, we still made out really well, perhaps even better than all of the other shows! Take a look at the 1961 Topps and 2011 Topps Tier One cards we were able to take home this go round:

While most of the 61's Dad picked up didn't have a whole lot of flair, he figured we'd have to knock them off eventually, so he was able to pick up a grand total of 49 new cards for the set, putting us now at 49.2% of the way there! I didn't expect this many commons from Dad, so it made for an awesome surprise. Fortunately, for lucky spoiled Drew, we were just getting started. 

Three of the bigger 1961 pickups came from another vendor, the first two being of former Yankees Bobby Shantz and Tony Kubek! I swore I already had the Kubek but the wantlist said differently, so I'm glad he got it for me. Also, I absolutely love adding new cards of players I've met, so this Shantz pickup was pretty darn awesome!

Easily the best card we picked up on the day was card #482, aka the MVP subset card of "The Say Hey Kid", Willie Mays! I'm pretty sure this set stretched from 1952 forward, to commemorate the first 10 years of Topps cards, but I don't remember offhand. It's not in tip top shape, but it's more than good enough to fit my set!

So, as I said, we are now .8% away from being halfway done with one of the most iconic sets in baseball card history! There's reason to be excited! Now, moving on to the more modern, yet still very nostalgic set, the Tier One relics. I bought 6 of these, but Dad ended up knocking off the 3 most expensive out of the group of cards below. He really is crazy, I'm telling you. 

First I was able to add the "cheater", Ryan Braun. Who knows if he really cheated the game or not. I believe he did, because the reasoning for his innocence seemed a bit questionable to me. I still like the guy enough though, and he sure is fun to watch. 

Speaking of exciting, how about perhaps the best hitter of this era, Ichiro Suzuki! Ichiro may not reach the 3,000 hit plateau in America, but his number of professional hits in total is incredible. He may not rake the way he used to, but that isn't diminishing the enormous legacy he's left on Major League Baseball. 

It seems difficult to not think of this guy when thinking of Ichiro, so it was fitting I was able to add this George Sisler relic as well. Sisler previously owned the record for single season hits, until Ichiro came along and shattered that record. However, he'll still be renowned as one of the best the game's seen. 

When it came to putting together a video game season, Rogers Hornsby could do what hardly anyone else could dream of accomplishing. Who can deny a guy with a .358 lifetime batting average? I find this one as one of the best of the lot, without question. 

I'm pretty sure this guy Cal Ripken knew a thing or two about hitting the baseball too! With well over 3,000 hits, the Iron Man will easily be one of the most loved players ever. You have to love a guy that actually doesn't mind signing autographs for the fans. I would kill for some current players to be as classy as Mr. Ripken. 

We also knocked off both of the redemptions from the set, Rickey Henderson and Ryne Sandberg! I've seen a few of the Sandberg cards on eBay before, but nothing of Rickey yet. I can't wait to see what these two look like when they're done and shipped out!

However, nothing will top these last two, at least in my eyes. It was a Willie Mays kind of day for us, as Dad picked up his relic from the set, which is easily one of my favorites in the set. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Mays was the best all around player in baseball history. From what I've read on him, it sounded like he could have had more than 5 tools if it were possible.  

But I had to put this guy last, because as I recently read, he didn't like not getting the limelight. Mr. Joe DiMaggio, everyone! Boy do I love this card. DiMaggio is the second of the four huge Yankees on this checklist I've acquired, as I haven't gotten Ruth and Mantle yet. But, this will definitely have to do for now!

With these 9 new additions to the relic set, I am now 88% of the way there, just missing Bench, Wright, Beltran, Ruth, Mantle, and Aaron! I never expected this set to fly by so quickly, which is why I need to give my Dad more than just a thank you. You're the best dad, and I'm glad you realize how much I appreciate all you do for me. Also, thank you to my favorite vendors Rich & Hunter for being such a big help in selling so many of these to us!

We're just getting started everyone, so please stay tuned for even more new material within the next few days! See Ya

Tier One Relic Set Additions!

Hey guys, Drew back here. Over the past month or so I've bought quite a few cards off of eBay, including the 2 I'm about to show from the set I'm attempting to complete, 2011 Topps Tier One Top Shelf relics. I already had 31 of the 50 cards going into these purchases, so with these two I'm now 66% of the way through! So, without any further delay, take a look at my latest pickups for this high end relic set.

First, I was able to cross off Jacoby Ellsbury from the list. I'll have you guys know it is very painful for a Yankee fan like me to buy a card of a Red Sock. When this set is done, Pedroia, Crawford, and Ellsbury will hide in the back of the box. 

Second, and lastly for now, I picked up the Jose Reyes relic. Reyes hasn't been anything special this season for Los Miami Marlins, which was disappointing to me considering I took him in the third round of my fantasy draft. Hopefully in the second half of the season he'll show how he won the batting title last season in the Big Apple!

Anyways, that'll do it for now. If you have any Tier One relics for trade, please please please check this page to see if I've got it or not, and if I don't, feel free to comment or email me to let me know. Thanks everyone!

See Ya!

The 31st Addition to the Tier One Relic Set!

Hey guys, Drew back here. Lately, I've been very active in the hobby through eBay, although I may not be on the blog all that often. I love to take a new Tier One relic here and there, but I really like to wait until I find a solid price for each card. With the card I'm about to show, I got one of those very deals. For about $5 shipped, I was able to add a bat card of Dodger's legendary backstop Roy Campanella!

Campanella is one of the three Dodgers to have a card in the set, to go along with Pee Wee Reese and Sandy Koufax! I now have all three of these, and this card brings me up to 31 of 50, giving me a 62% completion percentage! This is my first decent card of Campanella in my collection, and I'm glad I was finally able to add one of Brooklyn's finest to my collection. 

With this card, I now still need the following 19 cards for the set:

#TSR-1: Ichiro Suzuki

#TSR-7: Rogers Hornsby

#TSR-8: Ryan Braun

#TSR-10: Roy Halladay

#TSR-14: George Sisler

#TSR-16: Babe Ruth (prefer the dual relic)
#TSR-19: Johnny Bench
#TSR-20: Reggie Jackson
#TSR-21: Carlos Beltran
#TSR-24: Jose Reyes
#TSR-26: Rickey Henderson (Redemption)
#TSR-31: David Wright
#TSR-32: Jacoby Ellsbury
#TSR-36: Mickey Mantle (prefer the dual relic)
#TSR-44: Hank Aaron (prefer the dual relic)
#TSR-46: Ryne Sandberg (Redemption)
#TSR-48: Willie Mays
#TSR-50: Cal Ripken Jr.

It ain't gonna be easy, to put it in a nice way. But it's going to be a fun journey, and I hope you all stick around for the ride! If anyone has any of the cards I need and is willing to trade them, please send me an email to yanks1996wsc@gmail.com! Thanks everyone!

See Ya!

March 24th White Plains Card Show Recap! 2011 Tier One Relics!

Hey guys, Drew back here! So not only did Dad and I go after quite a few 1961 Topps cards for our set, but we also went crazy with some 2011 Topps Tier One relic cards! Obviously, most of you know I suddenly received an urge back at the end of last year to try for the whole relic set, and you all thought I was crazy I'm sure. However, after this show, I feel confident that I could have the set complete by the end of the year if I really put a lot of effort in on it! One reason for this confidence is that one of my favorite vendors, Rich, was able to pick up the entire set for a discounted price, so he's been able to make us some great, great deals. Take a look at the cards he was able to help me add for a great price:

The first of many was of Red Sox outfielder Carl Crawford. I used to like Carl a lot while he was a Ray, but now it's awfully hard to continue to like him as he gears up in Boston every day. Well, when he's not injured.

How can you not like Chipper Jones? I haven't gotten to watch a lot of Braves games over the years, but it's obvious to baseball fans throughout our country that he is one of the most respectable men to ever play the game. It was sad to hear that 2012 will be his final season, as he announced a few days ago. Without a doubt he'll be in Cooperstown one day. 

Speaking of the Braves, here is a pretty nice Brian McCann relic. McCann is one of the more underrated players in baseball today, and if I had to start a team today I would want him to be behind the plate. He's undoubtedly the best all around catcher in the big leagues, with Yadier Molina close on his tail. 

Am I the only person here that thinks Jered Weaver is going to have another Cy Young caliber season this year? I doubt it. He's been one of the best in the American League over the past few years, and with a revamped lineup containing Albert Pujols, I can see an awful lot of wins in his future.

Aramis Ramirez was one of many players to switch teams over the offseason, landing a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. I think he's bound for a nice year following his great 2011 season, due to the fact that he's in a very good lineup, even though he's no Prince Fielder. I like this card quite a bit because of the nice pinstripe from his Cubs jersey is almost going down the middle of the card. 

I really question the abilities of Ubaldo Jimenez. I feel like his 2010 season is going to be his best season, and that his move to the American League is only going to hurt him. He's a solid #3 pitcher in my book, but I think Cleveland surrendered too much for him last season. But what do I know. This card also has a pinstripe sneak into the corner, and although I'm not a big Jimenez fan, this is also one of my favorites in the bunch. 

There's B.J. Upton, Kevin Youkilis, Jonathan Papelbon, and Carlos Zambrano, among many others in the game today. But, above all, Dustin Pedroia is my least favorite player in all of baseball. It's nothing against his work ethic, ability, and talent, but it's the fact that he is an annoying batter to face on the most annoying team (in my opinion) in baseball. Sox fans, I wish I could trade this to you, but I can't since it's part of the set. Oh well. 

Ian Kinsler is one of those guys who I think benefits greatly from being in a very good lineup. He's a good all around player with the capability of being a 30-30 guy without question. In fact, he was one last year. Can he keep up this season? We'll have to wait a few months and see. 

The last of today's players is perhaps the best of the bunch, in Reds superstar first baseman Joey Votto! Votto is one of those some what underrated but very likable guys in baseball, that does his job at a high level every single day. He's a great fantasy baseball pick if you're a fan of consistency, and has a good chance at bringing the Reds towards the top of the NL Central this year (if the Ryan Madson injury doesn't affect them too much). 

Dad surprised me with two Yankees Tier One relics I needed to end the show, and this was one of them. Nothing like a jersey card of "The Warrior", Paul O'Neill. I'm not all that sure why he fits in with all of the Hall of Famers in the set, but it doesn't necessarily matter to me, because I like him a lot. He's certainly better than some of the players in this set though, so I don't think it's much of an issue having him included. 

I really like this card, perhaps the most of any of the cards Dad and I acquired. It's a red Twins relic of Paul Molitor! Sure, Molitor isn't well known for his days as a Twin compared to his Brewers days, but any opportunity you get for a red relic needs to be taken advantage of. It really pops out compared to the other cards in the set. 

Speaking of rare relic colors, here is a black relic of a White Sox player! I bet you don't hear that everyday! The card is of Carlton Fisk in one of those interesting White Sox jerseys from the 80's. Gotta love it. My favorite part about this is that he isn't pictured as a Red Sox player, even though you can argue he was more well known for that portion of his career. A great catcher without question. 

William, be jealous. Next is a bat relic of one of the best Orioles that ever lived, in Eddie Murray! Murray was often overlooked throughout his career compared to others from his time, but he wasn't overlooked when Cooperstown called his name. The only negative about this card is that his snazzy sideburns were gone by the time this picture was taken. Bummer.

Now we're really talking, as next is a relic of Hall of Fame shortstop Pee Wee Reese. Reese was part of the dynamic Dodgers middle infield, sharing it with the beloved Jackie Robinson. He was known for always trying to help and support Jackie even though he had it rough in the beginning of his major league career. He's certainly one of the cooler names in the set, along with the next guy below. 

Former Cardinal, Giant, and Yankee Johnny Mize! When looking at Mize's career stat line: .312 lifetime batting average, 359 home runs, 10 time all star, I discovered that he was a complete player for his time. I drew a comparison to today's Joey Votto (if he keeps up for the rest of his young career), or maybe Todd Helton. But nobody knew how to win like Mize, who was a part of the Yankees pennant run in the late 40's and early 50's. This is really a beautiful card. 

Next is a member of the 500 Home Run club, Mr. Willie McCovey! He is one of the most underrated players in the Hall of Fame in my opinion, mainly because he was second to Willie Mays through most of his career over in San Francisco. However, his 521 home runs, 6 All Star selections, and numerous other accolades make him one of the best to ever play. 

The final card was more expensive than all of the others, but fittingly so. The relic is of former Yankees great Thurman Munson, who will always be a part of my heart. I didn't grow up in the 1970's, but through watching a lot of old film and games, I realized that if you want to describe a perfect ballplayer, this guy was your guy. No, he didn't smack home runs out of the park every time he hit, but the guy worked his butt off every day and hustled in everything he did. Since the day I knew of Thurman Munson for the first time, I modeled my career after his in a respect. I'm not a catcher, but I realized it's okay to get dirty, and to run as hard as you can. It shows how much you love the game. Thurman's plaque would be in the Hall of Fame today had it not been for the tragic day of August 2nd, 1979, when his plane crashed and killed him. After that day, Yankees fans realized that if anyone was indeed "the straw that stirred the drink", it was him. R.I.P. Thurman, forever and always.

On a lighter note, these 17 relics bring me all the way up to 30 in total that I now have, out of the 50 card set. I'm still looking for three more dual relics, in Aaron; Mantle; and Ruth; but I'm very content being 60% of the way done already. It's coming around to being a beautiful set!

If anyone owns any of the cards that I don't have pictured on this page and is interested in trading me one to help me out with my set, please feel free to send me an email to yanks1996wsc@gmail.com! Thanks so much to everyone who read this, and once again to Dad for the tremendous help! 

See Ya!