Cracking Reggie

Hey everyone, Drew back here! If you haven't already noticed, I've taken some strides over the past few months to upgrade my collection to something more high end. I've been talking about doing this for a long time, but over the past year I've made a significant effort to make more of less. I had a few certified Reggie Jackson autographs, but I didn't value any of them all that much. So I decided to flip them towards getting some cards I could value, and this was one of the results:

As I hinted a few posts ago, I love the gold frames Topps has been using lately, particularly with Museum Collection. I mean, is there any way to make a player look more like baseball royalty? If anyone deserves a royal presentation in my collection, it would be Reggie. His personality was filled with bravado and swagger, and this card really seems to exploit that.

When I purchased the card, it was graded a BGS 9, which isn't much of a concern to me. In fact, what I've noticed is that anything below a 9.5 seems to almost sell for less than an ungraded card in good condition. I've taken advantage of this a few times now and have been able to add some nice cards in result. But if the scan didn't show it enough, I hated having this card slabbed. 

So I decided to crack it. This was the first time I ever cracked a card before, so I decided to make an event of it live on Instagram with some of my buddies. They laughed hysterically at my poor efforts using a hammer to free the card. Luckily, this card is practically a gold brick, so it was able to fully sustain any of my stupidity, and by the time it finally escaped the BGS prison, it was still in mint condition.

I'm a sucker for silver ink. It's my cardboard weakness, I won't lie. Everything about this card just made sense for my collection, and I have to admit it looks way better in a magnetic (especially with the gold magnet matching the frame color) than it ever did in that slab. I personally only really like seeing vintage/rookie cards in PSA slabs and Bowman/rookie autographs in BGS slabs. I'm picky, what can I say?

Did I make the right call? Let me know in the comments below how you like your graded cards.

The Aroldis Chapman Conundrum

Hey everyone! So pitchers and catchers have reported, and that is awesome. The worst part of the year is finally over. Ever since I was knocked out of my fantasy football playoffs and watched the Patriots perform miracles in the Super Bowl, I've been geared up for baseball season. While the Yankees are in the midst of a "don't call it a rebuild" rebuild period, I actually am anxious to get the season underway and see what the kids can do.

It was a pretty quiet offseason for Cashman and crew, if you consider spending over $100 million quiet. However, a bulk of that money was put towards our brand old southpaw closer, Aroldis Chapman. I've made it pretty clear that I don't support what Chapman has done (nobody should). But regardless, what's done is done and technology hasn't yet allowed for time travel to reverse mistakes.

I picked up one of Chapman's better cards on eBay before the signing, in anticipation that the card's price would rise when he inevitably became a Yankee again:

The 2010 Bowman refractors scan awfully, I must say. Nevertheless, this is Chapman's rookie refractor autograph, a card I had always wanted but never been able to afford. In light of his domestic violence incident, his card prices have generally fallen as you would expect. I wouldn't consider the price I paid a victory because of the circumstances (much like how I was able to add the Jose Fernandez Bowman auto after his death), but I was satisfied with its cost.

Now that Chapman has a lot of guaranteed money to work with, we'll see his true colors. Of course, if he didn't behave in his contract year, he wouldn't have been awarded a record contract for closers. I get that. 

But I've always been willing to give athletes second chances after coming to grips with what they had done, as long as they seemed to learn from it. Michael Vick is a prime example of this. My friend shared a video of Vick's career highlights recently on facebook, and I realized how great it was to be able to watch him do what he did best: play football. He paid the price for what he did, and he genuinely seems to want to make a difference off the field by speaking to kids constantly about how to treat animals. So now, when I watch old footage of Vick scrambling downfield, I can enjoy it without any feelings of guilt.

Because Chapman isn't a native of this country, it may be more difficult for him to express himself to the media and fans. But I hope over the next 3-5 years I'll be able to feel similarly about Chapman as I now do about Vick. If this is the case, I'll have this beautiful, shiny autographed card of his to enjoy.

America vs. The Patriots

Okay, so I took a couple days off, but don't worry I'm still here! It is Super Bowl Sunday, America's most widely celebrated holiday as far as I can tell. A year ago, I spent my Super Bowl at a bar in Florence explaining the rules of the game to a kid from South Korea. I was out until 4:30 in the morning because of the time difference, and had up to be up by 8:00 for class. Good times.

Since the topic of the day is football, I figured I would catch you up on a few really sweet Jets cards I've picked up in recent months. Now, I know, the words "sweet" and "Jets" shouldn't usually be used in the same sentence, but take my word for this please.

2013 Topps Five Star Curtis Martin Auto 15/25

First, I was able to finally add my all time favorite football player, Curtis Martin, to my autograph collection. Martin was the star of the first Jets team I payed any attention to, and I immediately gravitated towards him. Thomas Jones, Leon Washington, new Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson, the late Joe McKnight, Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell, and Matt Forte have since shared the backfield, but nobody has done it for me quite like Curtis did.

Last summer at a card show I debated whether to buy myself a full sized signed helmet of his, and ended up coming up just short on the funds necessary to do that. Several months later, I bought this beautiful card for a fraction of the price.

2015 Topps Chrome Leonard Williams Auto /99

There was something really appealing about this camo parallel rookie autograph of our lone Pro Bowler, Leonard Williams. The "Big Cat" delivered on his 6th overall draft selection this year and picked up the slack left behind by Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson. The defense this year was so disappointing, with Williams being the only true exception.

2014 Panini Flawless Eric Decker Auto 14/25

Ryan Fitzpatrick really missed Eric Decker this year. He only played in 3 games in 2016 before being placed on IR for hip and shoulder injuries that both required surgery. It sounds like he should be ready to go by the start of next season, which hopefully can help regain some of the magic he and Brandon Marshall shared the season prior.

Regardless of how the rest of his Jets career plays out, I'll never forget him for my all time favorite in person memory. Dad and I finally got to see a Jets vs. Patriots game in 2015, and Decker hauled in the game winning touchdown reception in the corner of the end zone that kept us in the playoff hunt. While I don't like talking about what happened in Buffalo the next week, in that moment I was so proud to be a Jets fan.

2015 Panini Luxe Darrelle Revis Patch Auto 4/5

We'll close this up with the man famous for shutting down this generation's best wide receivers in the game, Darrelle Revis. It was not a good year for "Revis Island". But, as a Jet fan I've gotten used to trying to find some form of a silver lining for everything so I keep from losing my sanity. We only have 3 more years to go!

Now I don't mean to sound like a downer, but man has this guy put us through a lot over the years. I feel like his entire career has been a contract negotiation. He left us and went to the Bucs, and then won a Super Bowl with the devil! It was extremely painful seeing him hoist the Lombardi Trophy with Tom Brady by his side, but I guess in a weird way I'm glad he got the chance to win after quite possibly being the greatest defensive player in franchise history.

So while he may continue to bug me for 3 more years as he gets old and wears down, he'll always be a Jet legend and down the road I'll be even happier to own this card. Also, I'm starting to grow very fond of these framed autographs. They're very aesthetically pleasing.

Alright, so that'll have it. No Joe Namath auto yet, apologies.

Go Falcons!

Massive Robinson Cano Collection Overhaul

During my blog absence, I've made one thing especially clear to myself: stop wasting money on collecting unproven players. Sure, it's awesome to have a bunch of autographs of the next phenom player, but prospects can be so hit or miss that it usually doesn't work out in your favor.

Luis Severino was my main PC focus of 2016. He came off an electric 11 start stretch to begin his career at the end of the 2015 season, which was enough for me to drop all of my other collections and solely focus on the new Yankees "ace". But, as with most 22 year old pitchers, there isn't always a clear road to superstardom. Severino struggled immensely in the starting rotation in 2016, but at least showed flashes of brilliance in the bullpen. I'll be honest, I'm a little down on him compared to how I used to feel about him. Do I think he's going to be a bust? Absolutely not. At the very least, I think he's going to be a dominant bullpen arm if he can avoid the injury bug. At best, I think he can still be an ace (or close to it).

Meanwhile, Robinson Cano continued to age like a fine wine, and actually had his most powerful season to date in 2016 with the Mariners. He batted .298 with 39 home runs and 103 RBI, which he definitely needed to boost his future Hall of Fame case. I'm still a little sour that the Yankees couldn't come up with the funds necessary to keep him longterm, but could instead sign Ellsbury, McCann, Tanaka, and Beltran with relative ease. But after the trades for Starlin Castro and the now #3 prospect in baseball; Gleyber Torres, I don't feel as bad about it!

With that said, I arrived at the decision I mentioned above, stop wasting money on collecting unproven players. Instead, I sold a few of my lower end Severino and Cano autographs to make some serious Cano PC upgrades:

2013 Topps Five Star Autographed Patch 14/35

2016 Topps Stadium Club Lone Star Signatures Autograph 15/25

2006 Topps Allen & Ginter Framed Autograph

2016 Topps Tier One Jumbo Patch Autograph 5/5

2016 Topps Triple Threads Relic Auto Combo w/Felix, Iwakuma 33/36

2016 Topps Triple Threads Relic Autograph Sapphire 3/3

2016 Topps Dynasty Autograph Patch 3/10

So, I think you all know who my sole PC is now. While I'll continue to sparsely collect some of my favorite Yankees and homegrown stud Joe Panik, I'm focused on making my Cano collection as good as I can. I'm done taking chances, and *knock on wood* Cano is about as safe a bet as there is.

And by the way, if you think I'm made of money suddenly, I'm not. All of these cards came my way through budgeting and selling other things! I'm in the process of turning my lower end portion of my collection into slightly more of a mid-high end range, and so far it's going really well. I've been able to add quite a few really nice autographs basically just for things I don't want as much.

PS: Thank you Andrew for selling me the triple autograph, and to the Instagram user @atl_cards I bought the Dynasty autograph off of. 

Alright, I'll talk to you guys tomorrow (hopefully)! (Leaving this at the end of each post to motivate myself not to be a bad blogger)

I Am Gary...

Hey everyone, long time no talk, again. I'm going to quit making excuses for whenever I lack the motivation to blog. In all honesty, I've lost a lot of the drive I once had for writing posts and being especially involved in the blogging community. It's not you guys, it's me; I swear. Things have been busier than ever since I returned from Florence at the end of May, and the time I would usually spend writing posts is now allotted towards resting up for another day's work.

I've done a lot of things outside of work this summer though too. I went to 3 Yankees games, one of which was at Fenway Park against Boston. I saw Coldplay at Metlife Center and The Lumineers at a local festival. I added several new records to my growing vinyl collection, went to a card show, rode some rollercoasters at Six Flags, and spent a lot of quality time with friends and family. A good portion of this will be covered sooner or later.

On top of it all, I've watched a lot of baseball. The Yankees have been invigorated with energy ever since the Trade Deadline and the release of Alex Rodriguez, and it has almost become must-see TV. I normally keep tabs on most games while watching shows on Netflix religiously, but these past two months have gone the opposite direction. The difference maker, as most of you appear to know by now; has been Gary Sánchez. "The Kraken", as famously dubbed by Brian Cashman; has been a lethal weapon of mass destruction since being called up for the third (and final) time on August 2nd.

2010 Bowman Gary Sanchez Refractor Auto /500

Sánchez has been a Baby Bomber for seven years now, and was regarded as a Top 100 Prospect by Baseball America for five of those seven. He succeeded in the shadow of former top prospect Jesus Montero until the Michael Pineda trade officially made him the future of Yankee backstops.

I've been collecting all throughout that time, and I didn't own an autograph of Sánchez's... until August 6th, 4 days after the call up. A dealer had listed four or five of his Bowman refractor autographs to try and make a profit. He may have profited, but he has to be kicking himself after the tear "El Gary" has been on. This card currently sells between $250 and $300, but I had it for $40 shipped. Essentially, I played the long con for seven years and made one of the greatest eBay snipes of all time (yeah, I said it).

Sure, I hear all you nay-sayers who think this is all a hoax. Obviously, yes, the guy won't be hitting a Ted Williams-esque .400 for his entire career. But we as Yankee fans have every right and reason to be thrilled with the prospect of having an All Star caliber catcher for the first time since Jorge Posada was in his prime. Not only has his bat played a vocal part in this late bid for a Wild Card spot, but he already seems to be emerging as a leader in the clubhouse. He wants to win, and win now. And he is doing everything in his power to help the team do just that.

New Yorkers never quit. Neither will we @Yankees. Please keep coming out to support. Thank you. #YankeesDontQuit #IamGary

— Gary Sanchez (@ElGarySanchez) August 27, 2016

I love it.

For once, you're right about something John Sterling. Gary is scary.

PS: This card just recently was sent out (along with a few others) as part of a BGS Group Submission. I will be sure to share the results when they come back, unless of course they all grade terribly. I don't want you all to think I'm as blind as a bat.

Harvey Day

Hey Mets fans, remember when "Harvey Day" was a thing? It's tragic, really. Sure, Matt Harvey is returning to form this year little by little, but the days where he electrified the Mets fanbase on every fifth day appear to be over. One of the flaws of the world today, in my opinion; is that topics become old news in light speed. Harvey has certainly fallen victim to this.

But don't worry "Dark Knight". I'm not a Mets fan, but I've seen enough of your starts to know that this is not the end. The Mets faithful may be more intrigued by Thor and his giant hammer or the legendary slugger that is Bartolo Colon, but Harvey is still my favorite of the All Star bunch.

2011 Bowman Platinum Matt Harvey Autograph

And with that, I decided to add one of his top prospect autographs to my collection. I've been working just about every day this summer, and will be continuing to do so for the next few months. I'm allowing myself a weekly budget to use to bolster my collection, because it will serve as excellent motivation to keep working hard and save up money towards a new car.

This has been a card I've wanted to add for a while now. I went some of the All Star Game events in 2013 when the Mets hosted, and the hype for Harvey (who started the game for the National League) was soaring almost as high as Strasburg-mania in 2010. After an atrocious April and May this season, Harvey pitched more like himself in June. Hopefully he can keep it going, and perhaps Harvey Day could return.

Luis Severino PC Additions: Spring 2016

Hey everyone, Drew back here. I've been back in the US for almost a month now, and unless you keep tabs with my Twitter or Instagram accounts; you haven't seen any of my new Luis Severino PC additions. So with that, let's get you all up to date, shall we?

- 2014 Bowman Scout's Breakouts Insert

- 2014 Bowman Scout's Breakouts Die-Cut Insert

- 2014 Bowman Scout's Breakouts Die-Cut X-Fractor 61/99
- 2015 Bowman Chrome Prospects Black Refractor 

I purchased these four cards off of Check Out My Collectibles just before I fly off to Italy, and arrived home to find them waiting on my desk for me. I'm going to try to fill as many holes in his early Topps/Bowman rainbow checklists as I can without breaking the bank, and I believe these all came to me for less than $10 shipped.

- 2016 Topps #265 Rookie Card (x17)

Not one, not two, but seventeen. It's safe to say I won't be needing any more copies of Severino's official Topps rookie card. They really put together a solid debut card of his, more than likely thanks in part to him being represented by them.

- 2016 Bowman Chrome Rookie Autograph Refractor 177/499

When I initially started collecting Severino, I told myself I would only focus on his prospect years and his rookie year, and only went after his Topps/Bowman releases. I didn't think it would be much. I was wrong. His autograph is featured multiple times in every single Topps release this year, which I can only imagine is part of why they hardly sell for over $10 a pop (though, in fairness to Topps; his performance in 2016 has left much to be desired). I want to at least have one autograph from each set he's been included in, but as for completing the rookie year rainbows.... we'll see.

- 2016 Topps Museum Collection Signature Series Triple Relic Auto 95/99

Museum Collection has produced some of Topps' finest quality since its birth in 2012. This year, I feel like it may have taken a bit of a step back. Don't get me wrong, I'll take a card like this any day; but it does feel a little busy. Regardless, there are a few other Severino inclusions in this year's release that I'll be trying to add sooner or later.

- 2016 Topps Archives 1969 Super Auto 70/75

When I first saw these cards appearing out of this year's Topps Archives, I was so pumped. I quickly made an offer on a Severino autographed version on eBay and it was accepted. The card came in yesterday, and it is undoubtedly one of my favorites in my growing collection of the future Yankees ace.

And yes, I said ace. Because I still believe in the kid, and so should you.

Prospect Pickups: James Kaprielian

Hey everyone, Drew back here! I hope you all are enjoying a nice, relaxing Memorial Day Weekend with your loved ones. But, if you have a few minutes to scour the blogosphere, allow me to show off a lot of James Kaprielian cards I purchased off of eBay while I was studying abroad!

Kaprielian is the Yankees current top pitching prospect by a considerable margin now that Luis Severino has graduated to big league status (for now). The former UCLA standout was drafted as the 16th overall pick in the 2015 Draft, and is estimated to make his debut in the big leagues in 2017. He's only started three games in 2016, and is currently on the disabled list with elbow inflammation. Luckily, it doesn't appear to be anything more than that.

This lot included 8 copies of his 2015 Bowman rookie card and 5 of his "Draft/Dividends" inserts, which shows how much your draft stock can improve by going to college. Kaprielian was drafted in 2012 in the 40th round by the Mariners, but his decision to go to UCLA helped him grow into a first round talent.

2015 Bowman DPP Refractor Autograph

The centerpiece of the lot was this gorgeous Bowman rookie refractor autograph! In my honest opinion, there is no better card to own of a player than one of these. Bowman offers several rarer color parallels, but the basic refractors are often relatively affordable while also being aesthetically pleasing.

Over the summer, I'm going to be looking to add Bowman refractor autographs of several of the other Yankees top prospects. The major targets will be Aaron Judge, Jorge Mateo, and Gary Sanchez. Unfortunately, this mini project will probably have to wait a little while because I'm a little short on money at the moment.

Which product do you think offers the best, most memorable autographed cards?

All Star Stitches

Relics don't really have the same appeal they once did to me. There have been so many controversies in regards to where the "game used material" comes from to the point where I'm generally driven away from buying them. I'm even at the point where I'd rather add a colorful parallel of a player I collect over having a piece of their bathroom towel or socks or whatever Topps and Panini are using.

One of the best relic sets every year to me is the All Star cards in Topps' annual Update Series. I like some diversity in my player collections, and typically most of the jersey swatches placed on their cards look pretty similar. But the All Star ones can be bright and on the complete opposite end of the color spectrum from what they typically don throughout the course of the regular season. I recently added two cards of this nature, the first on Check Out My Collectibles and the second from eBay.

2013 Topps Update Prince Fielder All Star Stitches

I've had a few of these cards on my want list ever since they came out in 2013. I was lucky enough to attend that year's Home Run Derby and watch my favorite sluggers duke it out in Citi Field. Prince Fielder was a favorite to win, and was one of my favorite players at the time (still very much up there). He didn't make it as far into the competition as we hoped, but the power display Yoenis Cespedes provided Queens that night was enough to make up for it. It's pretty cool in retrospect to think that just two years later Cespedes helped lead the Mets to the World Series.

I highly doubt this was the jersey Fielder wore during the Derby, but it's close as it's going to get for me. That was one of the best days of my life, and I'm glad I have another token to remember it by. This cost me maybe $2.

2015 Topps Update Joe Panik All Star Stitches

It's hard to believe that a player can make such a quiet splash into the league. Joe Panik helped lead the Giants to an unforgettable World Series victory in his rookie year, and followed up by making the All Star team the next season. I hope this is the first of many for Joe, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was. I talk him up a great deal because we rarely get major league quality talent in my neck of the woods, but he really is evolving into one of the best second basemen in the National League. If he can put together a full, healthy season, I feel like he can bring in some hardware.

Most fans don't get much out of the All Star Game, and I understand why. The game means too much for the World Series but usually isn't as thrilling as the stakes would entail. On top of it all, interleague play is so common that it's not as exciting to see these players face off. I still enjoy seeing the players I've admired for years honored annually, and I hope that feeling stays with me for a while. 

Pieces to the Panik Puzzle

I'm beginning to notice a trend with my two main player collections. Whenever I type "Joe Panik" into eBay, I typically sift out all of the parallels and focus primarily on autographs and relics. Meanwhile, I'm collecting any licensed cards I can find of Severino. I've made an effort to add some of his lower numbered parallels when products first hit eBay, because they wind up costing much less if you buy them early. I was a little late to collecting Panik, and he was a part of just about every set Topps released last year. In an effort to make up for time lost, I've been grabbing some of his higher end cards and waiting to fill in the remaining cracks later. Here are two recent examples of such:

2014 Topps Heritage Real One Autograph RC

I've wanted this card for over a year now, and I finally made it mine after Frankie's amazing Christmas gift allowed me to sell my Bowman Panik base autograph. I simply don't have the budget to have multiples of higher end issues, so it made much more sense to sell my duplicate and replace it with a card I needed. I believe the base version of this Heritage card is considered Panik's official "rookie card", although that whole concept is extremely tough to comprehend these days. Heritage is one of my favorite Topps products, and the 1965 set the design is based on may just be my all time favorite card design. This pickup was as much of a win-win scenario as it gets.

2015 Topps Allen & Ginter Framed Autograph

Allen & Ginter has worn out its welcome. I remember being so excited to buy a hobby box every year of it, but now I only seek out singles of my team and player collections. I always enjoyed doing the annual Gint-A-Cuffs contest within the community, but the product felt so recycled that my ambition drew thin. I'll grab some of the obscure cards and try to get them signed TTM. But the excitement A&G once brought feels like its worn away. Then again, my box breaking days are just about behind me. I've taken too much interest in collecting specifics and liquifying my collection that it simply does not make sense to budget my collection around ripping wax. Stadium Club was the lone exception to this position I've taken, and that was courtesy of my Dad and undoubtedly the product of the year in 2015.

Regardless, I got a steal for a deal on this framed autograph and it looks awfully nice to me. I know if I pulled this card, I'd be satisfied, but there are very few names in the checklist I would've been happy with. I guess that's just part of what comes with getting older and taking a budget seriously.

Where do you all stand as far as buying and breaking boxes of cards go? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below! And please, keep spreading the word about the new site if it all possible. I appreciate every last bit of your help!

Joe Panik Mailday: Topps Supreme

Hey everyone, Drew back here! My eBay streak has began to subside, as a majority of my budget is beginning to go towards Christmas shopping along with a card show this Saturday. However, I did manage to grab two more Joe Panik autographs from a set I've been anxious to see in person. 2015 Topps Supreme does something I've never seen the company do this well before: layering.

You can probably tell from the scan that the blue border surrounding Panik is indented into the card below the main frame. This element creates an elegance about the cards, and really looks fantastic. The border colors coincide with the parallel and serial numbering as Topps typically does, and I have to believe when the player's uniform colors line up with the parallel color it must make for a gorgeous card (case in point).

I was able to find both of his "base" autos from the set for under $20 combined. They became my 7th and 8th Panik autographs, but certainly will not be the last ones. Topps has pumped out autographs of his all year, and I look forward to snatching up more of them as time goes by.

What are your thoughts on 2015 Supreme? See Ya!

Didi Gregorius Mailday!

Hey guys, Drew back here! To keep things fresh from my recent Luis Severino splurge, I decided to add a few autographs of the Yankees shortstop of the future, Didi Gregorius. 

I wasn't exactly blown away when they initally dealt for the struggling young middle infielder, but I was willing to give him the chance to shine under the bright lights. It took a while for him to get going, after all, he was filling Derek Jeter's shoes. Once he got it all together, he emerged as a Gold Glove front runner with the capability of collecting some clutch hits towards the bottom of the lineup.

Many feel that Didi deserved the AL Gold Glove over the Royals' Alcides Escobar, but just the fact that he was considered makes Cashman look brilliant for the deal. Shane Greene was the only player the Yankees served up for his services, who, after a terrific start; finished with an ERA almost eclipsing 7.00 for the Tigers. 

Now that the Yankees seem to feel comfortable with him in the fold for years to come, I felt like I needed to give him a little more hobby love. His autographs are affordable for now, and the only one I had prior to these was a TTM I got when he was with the Diamondbacks.

The first card I bought was out of 2015 Topps Triple Threads, and is the green parallel autographed relic numbered to 50. The choice to use red ink is a little strange, and makes the card almost feel Christmas themed. However, with a gorgeous thick blue pinstripe across the relic and the low serial numbering, this was a card worth investing in. I remember when Robinson Cano was starting to come into his own and I bought a similar Triple Threads style card of his for about $20. Before Robby left for Seattle, that card was worth much more.

The other pickup of Didi's I made was out of 2015 Topps Five Star. I absolutely love the fresh look Five Star has delivered to collectors the past few years. It is becoming one of my most anticipated releases Topps makes. I got a steal on this on card beauty, only paying $7 shipped on eBay!

I'm excited to see what Gregorius will bring to the table in 2016. If it's anything like his second half performance this past year, I feel like we will all be extremely satisfied.

See Ya!

Severino Sunday: November 1st (PLUS Contest Results)

Hey everyone, Drew back here. I hope everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween! Mine was relaxing, as I got to sit back and watch game 4 of the World Series after powering my way through a never ending week. I've been rooting for the Mets because I honestly don't have any emotional attachment to the Royals at all, and because I'm a big fan of David Wright's. It doesn't look ideal for the Mets, but crazier things have happened.

I have been able to add 13 new Luis Severino cards to my collection since my first edition of Severino Sunday, and the quality hasn't decreased as far as I can tell.

 

- 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Blue Paper Parallel 279/399

- 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Green Paper Parallel 6/75

- 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Red Ice Parallel 49/150

- 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Purple Ice Parallel 58/99

- 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Black Wave Refractor

- 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Black Refractor 60/75

- 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Blue Refractor 217/399

- 2015 Bowman Prospects Silver Paper Parallel 54/499

- 2015 Bowman Prospects Purple Paper Parallel 226/250

- 2015 Bowman Prospects Blue Paper Parallel 106/150

- 2015 Bowman Chrome Prospect Profiles

- 2015 Bowman Chrome Prospect Profiles Green Parallel 66/99

- 2015 Bowman Autograph

Many of these additions came together via Check Out My Collectibles, but the autograph, ice parallels, and black refractor arrived through separate eBay purchases. I now have his regular and refractor Bowman rookie autographs, and hopefully won't be my last Bowman autograph parallel of his. I completed the mini 2015 Bowman Chrome Prospect Profiles rainbow with the regular and green parallels (the gold and orange cards were featured in the last post). It's quite difficult working on four separate set rainbows at once of a highly touted prospect, but its refreshing to get the newest set out of the way before the cards become more rare and expensive.

To see my current Luis Severino collection all together, click here.

Before I let you all go and enjoy the rest of your football and World Series Sundays, I would like to announce the winner of my Victory Fine Art contest I ran this week. I was a little disappointed by the total number of entries, but those who did get involved were fantastic and it really seems like I'm not the only one to see the potential of this company.

I placed all of your names on random.org and after five randomizations, the winner of any Victory Fine Art print of their choice is...

Congrats Rich B.! I'm going to send Victory Fine Art an email announcing that you have won, and if at possible, please send them an email also (marie@americanpopdigital.com) with your mailing address and the Ali print you are interested in winning so they can ship it out to you!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest, and I just hope this helped bring more awareness to a great up and coming company. Once again, if you haven't seen their work yet, click here.

See Ya!