2015 East Coast National: Stadium Club Break!

Hey everyone, Drew back here! Amidst a busy week at work, it looks like I've managed to complete my card show recap within less than a week's time, which quite possibly could be a record. I have so much to post, and with school coming up I wanted to be sure I could get most of that in before I'll be even busier. 

The final piece of this card show recap was a special surprise from my Dad! Following the show, Dad and I were on our way to a family birthday party when he told me to pull my cousin's gift out from under the seat. Instead, it was a box of 2015 Topps Stadium Club, and he couldn't have surprised me any better! After the family party, we went home and ripped open the first hobby box in over three years (yikes)!

Base Set:

I know, you've seen them all at least a hundred times on every blog all summer long. But who could possibly complain? In my opinion, this product has been the best of the year by a considerable amount; even better than Topps' refreshing flagship set. I have been wanting to check the product out firsthand for a few months but didn't get around to it until last weekend. If I had to choose my three favorites of what I pulled, I would go with the Ernie Banks, Lou Gehrig, and Dwight Gooden cards. The photography is so bright and bold, and I couldn't possibly enjoy it any more.

I also pulled the beautiful official rookie card of Kris Bryant, which will be one I plan on holding on to while he ascends into superstardom. Bryant hasn't quite broken out yet, but it's coming.

Gold Parallels:

I've always found parallels to be quite gimmicky and pointless, and despite Stadium Club having such a brilliant base set, it did not escape that issue. However, everything I don't like in most products are acceptable in Stadium Club; because at the end of the day, the photography is all that truly matters.

Black Parallels: Jon Olerud, Adrian Beltre

*Stay calm, Drew. Try not to lose it over meaningless parallels.* Well, maybe I'll send the Olerud out TTM eventually.

Foilboard Parallel: Bartolo Colon

I am a sucker for foil parallels, though. I feel like if they scrapped one or two of the not numbered parallels and maybe limited each card to 100 of these, it would be more fun to collect the specific parallels. The less, the better in my eyes. Unfortunately, this Colon card numbered to 25 has quite the ding on top. 

Inserts:

It seems hard to execute an insert set in a set where people enjoy the base cards as much as collectors do with Stadium Club. While the designs for the Triumvirate, True Colors, and Contact Sheet are well done, they really don't serve much of a purpose. I would rather have more of the regular set than these, but I can't complain. I did happen to pull the "Luminescent" version of the Josh Donaldson Triumvirate (notice the refractor shine in comparison to the Jose Abreu), and the refractor "True Colors" of Paul Goldschmidt. 

My favorite insert set, as overdone as this theme may be, was certainly the Legends subset. I pulled this Ted Williams card, and it is flawless. I love a well executed Die-Cut when I see one, and this is the epitome of such.

Autographs: Starling Marte, Matt Shoemaker (Gold /25)

I think we did pretty well with our two autographs, although it certainly could've been better. Marte is an electric young player with a lot of potential, but I do already have an Allen & Ginter framed auto of his. I have also gotten Matt Shoemaker TTM, so I would consider trading either for anything PC related with similar value. Shoemaker has struggled immensely after a breakout finish in 2014, but still has the tools to become a solid starting pitcher. Over anything, it can be said that these cards just look flat out amazing bearing signatures.

Dad and I didn't pull a Kris Bryant autograph, but we had a great time opening a tremendous product! Thank you so much Dad for capping off what was a wonderful day with a bang, and I can't wait until the next show!

See Ya!

A Golden Ball of a Gold Glover

Hey everyone, Drew back here! It already feels like the summer is beginning to wind down, but I'm far from ready for it to end. Unfortunately, I will not be flying to Chicago this weekend for the National, but I do plan on attending the East Coast National, hosted by JP's Sports, for the 7th straight year! They always make their lineup especially solid for their summer show, and I'm looking forward to getting three more Hall of Fame autographs in my collection that day. 

One of the players I planned to have sign a baseball for me was Brooks Robinson. Brooks is William's favorite player from everything I've gathered, and he seems like such like a wonderful man (not to mention one hell of a third baseman). My dad decided for my birthday to find something to spoil me with, and with his gift, I will have to find something creative for the Human Vacuum Cleaner to sign (perhaps a vacuum?).  

Yeah, that's right. For all of $25, my dad got me this awesome Tristar certified Brooks Robinson signed baseball; HOF Inscription and all! I researched the certification, which said that the ball was signed at a Houston card show in 1992; so it has a little bit of wear to it, but still looks great considering it's older than me! Robinson has one of the best signatures I've seen, especially among the Hall of Fame, and I've been wanting to get him on a ball for what feels like forever. He is now in my Hall of Fame ball case I got last Christmas, and after the card show I will have officially filled the case with nothing but Cooperstown's best.

Thank you so much Dad for the great surprise! Now, I ask you, the audience: what should I have Brooks sign for me at the show? I was debating between a bat or his famous World Series dive photo. Let me know in the comments below!

See Ya!

A "Donnie" Baseball!

Hey guys, Drew back here! It has officially become the busiest time of the year for me; baseball season. Our school Varsity team is 2-0 to open the season and I'm making really solid contact with the ball as of now! The season is nowhere near as long as the MLB season but it sure can be a grind, especially when we have 3-4 games a week. Luckily for me, my senior year is all but wrapped up academically, as I only wait for my AP Calculus, Literature, and Government tests! Following that, my final quarter grade will be based on an internship project I'm going to be doing with the Hudson Valley Renegades! I'm really looking forward to working with them and it'll be a great way to transition my high school career into a college education and hopefully a great career in the Sports Management business.

So, now that you're all caught up with what's going on in my life, how about I show off the newest signed ball in my collection? Check it out:

Former Yankee captain and current Dodgers manager Don Mattingly is the most recent addition to my signed baseball collection! My dad bought this beauty for me at the last card show we were at, and it certainly makes for a great addition! Mattingly is one of my favorite Yankees of all time even though I was too young to see him play; he led the team the right way and was a respectable player throughout baseball. I don't know if he should be in the Hall of Fame or not, but with recent selections such as Roberto Alomar and Barry Larkin I don't see how he can't be. Maybe if he can lead the Dodgers to a few World Series championships he can go in later in his career similarly to Joe Torre, but regardless of whether or not he makes it, he will always be a fan favorite and Yankee legend. Having him in my signed baseball collection was a must, and I'm so glad I can now check him off the list!

Thanks so much Dad! As always, you didn't have to, but it will most definitely be hanging around in my collection for as long as I can foresee.

See Ya!

Very Belated Christmas Gifts!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Posts like these really make me feel pathetic. It's taken me over two months to show off some of what I got for Christmas. Oh well, check them out:

My dad treated me to a bunch of the cards at the local corner store that has sold me a few very nice cards in the past. I had eyed one of the cards they had there for a while, and sure enough Dad remembered it! But first, here's a nice Hunter Pence Bowman Chrome refractor autograph numbered out of 500! It's a gorgeous card and from what I remember, it was at a bargain price too! Pence is a solid player, and I remember having him on my fantasy team a few years ago.

Next was a Jorge Posada rookie card out of 1994 Bowman's Best! I have one of these, but can never have enough; the other sits in my Core Four rookie card display I have set up in my mancave. This is probably my favorite Posada card, so I'm glad I got to add another one to my collection. 

Here's a 1961 Topps Ron Fairly card, the only '61 Topps card I believe they had for sale. I've currently completed 52.5% of the 1961 set (including high #'s). I haven't focused on it at all lately, but I've been thinking about scrapping off the high numbers for the time being and just finishing the regular set. It would help me concentrate on it more, because knowing that a bunch of random cards are worth $30-40 at least has intimidated me. I love the set, and look forward to adding more to it in the future. 

Sticking with the vintage theme, here's a very nice 1968 Topps Bob Gibson! I've always been a fan of players who aren't afraid to leave their mark on the game, and Gibson was nothing short of scary throughout his career with the Cardinals. I love collecting Gibson cards; he's easily my favorite pitcher of yesteryear and I'm glad I didn't have this one yet!

We close with a few rookie cards of my all time favorite player, Derek Jeter! I needed both of these cards for my Jeter collection, and I think with these I now own close to/if not all of his regular issued rookies! First, here's the 1993 Bowman card, which is certainly one of the more underrated rookie cards of his. I've always slept on it and I'm glad Dad was able to wake me up and get it for me!

Easily the hardest card to scan of all time, here is the card I've had my eyes on for a few years now, the famous 1993 Upper Deck SP Jeter rookie! This is Jeter's most saught after rookie card, and even though I know of a few Jeter cards I like much more visually, this one strikes as gold just because of what it is! And finally, it is in my possession!

Thanks so much Dad for the awesome gifts! Merry Christmas to all of you! ;)

See Ya!

Checking out the Super Bowl Boulevard! Great Success!

Hey guys, Drew back here. I've been in the midst of a break from the hobby, with most of my time dedicated towards cleaning my desks up, sorting cards, and devoting time towards my girlfriend. However, once in a while I still like to do a thing or two involved with my favorite hobby, and I was shocked the other day when my Dad told me we were going to check out the Super Bowl Boulevard! We headed down to Manhattan on Friday for the day after I wrapped up all of my midterms, and we didn't realize that we were in for quite the treat!

In case you didn't know, the Super Bowl Boulevard was held throughout the past week between 34th Street and 47th Street, taking up Broadway and much more. While it was a huge event, most of the features were all crammed together, leaving a few other parts of the experience far away. It was a great day for the NFL to host such a large event, supplying fans with great opportunities for all ages, but it certainly had its glitches along the way. The spacing was the biggest problem, with so many people crammed together, some in line to get to see the Lombardi Trophy up close; some to slide on the large toboggan float; and others to get autographs from the players announced on the lineup. On Friday, we expected to see Redskins WR Pierre Garcon, Panthers LB Luke Kuechly, Colts WR Reggie Wayne, Eagles QB Nick Foles, and legendary Rams RB Marshall Faulk. All five of these stars were scheduled to sign outside at the Autograph stage at different times throughout the day, so originally we planned to keep going through the same line all day long.

However, there were rumors that it would be smart to see what was going on at some of the other local stores, many of which hosted players as well that may have went under the radar. Unfortunately in the Big Apple, nothing goes under the radar, but we did end up finding out about a signing at 3:00 at Macy's! When we got to Macy's, which is on 34th street and was considered at one of the ends of the Boulevard, we were pleased to see FOX Sports reporter Erin Andrews posing with fans. The cost to meet Andrews was $50 spent at the NFL Shop which was occupying the entire 4th floor of the building. It wasn't worth $50 to me to meet Andrews, but it was easily worth $50 to meet the 3:00 guest!

In order to meet the 3:00 guest, we had to hang around Macy's, because he was only to sign for the first 100 people in line and a crowd was already gathering. It was noon when we got there. So yes, we had to wait 3 hours to meet this player, but even for the very short amount of time with him, it was still easily worth the time and money! We bought a special edition mini helmet for this year's Super Bowl in hopes to get it signed at some point during the day, along with a rack pack of Panini Rookies & Stars and a commemorative Super Bowl card set. We were 9th in line to meet this legend, and we took our 3 hours in line to get to know the people around us who were also patiently waiting for the event to begin. Eventually he arrived, and I swear it felt like the President of the United States had just entered Macy's. Fans gathered around the sides hoping for a free autograph (which they didn't get much to my approval), and he was chock full of security surrounding him during the whole event.

Dad and I approached the man and shook his hand and told him how much of a pleasure it was to meet him, and he signed an 8x10 for us that contained the NFL Shop and Macy's logos. I wasn't crazy about the picture at first because of that reason but then I remembered I didn't want to meet him to make a profit, and the logos will remind me of the time I spent 3 hours at Macy's on a cold winter day with my Dad. I think if you add up all the time I've spent in my life in Macy's, it still wouldn't equal three hours! It wasn't an easy wait, but to come home knowing I met Emmitt Smith and got his autograph was enough to make my year!

Emmitt Smith has been regarded by many people as the greatest running back of all time, or at least in the conversation with Walter Payton and Barry Sanders! He owns the NFL record for most career rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, and was part of the Dallas Cowboys dynasty throughout the 1990's! I barely missed the boat on Emmitt's career, as he was just wrapping his career up with the Arizona Cardinals. I went back and watched a lot of highlights of his career after I met him and began to understand why he left such a large mark on the game.

Nothing about this photo really stands out other than it being of Emmitt Smith and featuring his autograph. The picture isn't incredible and the logos certainly get in the way, but it's still a Smith autograph and it comes with a story I think I'm going to love telling in the future! When it comes down to it, this is a hobby of mine after all, and although it can get expensive, moments like these will always be in my possession and I could never try to sell something that carries a personal value like this.

After we ordered our 8x10 print of our photo taken with Emmitt, we rushed out of Macy's to see if we could catch Marshall Faulk in time for his signing. We arrived on time for the signing, but the line was already way down the block and Faulk wasn't even there yet. We later found out he was 35 minutes late to the signing and only could stay until the signing was scheduled to be over, so he only signed for about 25 minutes. We knew a lot of stars were out in the city that we could've hunted down, but we were exhausted and starving from our wait at Macy's so we took one last look through the crowds and then headed over to TGI Friday's for dinner. We went home after a great meal, and although I didn't come home with a mountain of autographs, I got one great one that I didn't previously have and am now so proud to own!

While last night's game wasn't the best Super Bowl by any means, it was really cool to have my home state partially host the big game! Tickets for the game were far too expensive for me, but getting to see and hear some of the Super Bowl atmosphere throughout the city all day was an experience I'll never forget! 

Thank you so much Dad for taking me and spoiling me to death as always! I can't thank you enough for everything you've given and done for me! 

See Ya!

2013 Fall Classic Card Show Recap! Pt. 1

Hey guys, Drew back here! So, last weekend was certainly filled with highs and lows. I worked two very busy nights at the restaurant I've been working at, and I had to take the SAT again. Fortunately, my Dad and I had arranged a trip down to White Plains to relinquish some of that stress afterwards, and we headed down to JP's Sports' "Fall Classic" the next day! Before I get into who I got the chance to meet, take a look at some of what I picked up!

First, out of 2007 Fleer Ultra, here's a "Swing Kings" relic of Gary Sheffield! Sheffield is one of my favorite all time Yankees, so I think it's about time I add some more of his stuff into my collection. After all, he was my first favorite player. I love the way the pinstripe looks on this card.

Also of Sheff, here's a 2004 Ultimate Collection patch card of his numbered only 45 of 75! I got this card for about $7 since it was in my friends Hunter & Rich's bargain bin, and I'm really glad I found it! It's a pretty solid patch for a Yankees card, and I can guess the patch is from the interlocking NY. 

I ended up also adding this Troy Tulowitzki Ballpark Collection auto relic for less than $10 as well! I'm eventually hoping I can start a mini-PC of Tulo's, since I always seem to end up with him on my fantasy team. Despite his frequent injuries, I still believe he is the best current shortstop in all of baseball.

My dad also picked up a few things for me to open up on the ride home. The first of which was only of these relatively new blaster boxes:

 

Ever since my Dad & I got to shake Pete Rose's hand in Cooperstown this summer, we've been big fans of his. This blaster contains a set of entirely Pete Rose cards, a set that you will most likely get all of just by opening one of them. While the set isn't as exciting as Charlie Hustle was on the basepath, it's still a nice tribute to one of the most electrifying players to ever grace the diamond.

 

Oh, and did I mention that each blaster comes with a Rose autograph? You can get an autographed variation of any of the cards in the base set, and I ended up with this fitting photo of him sliding into second. Although these don't go for a lot, it's still a Pete Rose autograph and you can't go wrong with one of those (unless you're Bart Giamatti)!

One thing I've learned over the course of countless trips down to White Plains is that my Dad loves taking a gamble on mystery boxes. I really enjoy opening boxes, but I always am cautious about it due to the prices. Normally I would take buying something I like instead, just because I know I'm not going to be let down, but once in a while you have to say what the heck and take the plunge. With that in mind, my Dad also picked up one of these 2011 Just Minors Mystery Balls!

The potential was certainly there in one of these. I mean, for example, take a look at who is in the base set:

Price, Santana, Craig, Teheran, Robertson. I mean, these sets are loaded with stars, and future stars! Well, we didn't get as lucky, but we could've done worse.

We ended up with Cubs prospect Josh Vitters. Josh has been bouncing around in the Cubs farm system since 2007 now, and after a solid AAA stint this season he was promoted to the big leagues. He struggled mightily in over 100 at bats, hitting .121 with 2 HR and 33 strikeouts. Hopefully he'll be able to put it all together in the future and expose all the tools he showed off in the minors!

If anyone is interested in the ball please comment below and we can try to work something out! Despite the pull not being who we wanted, it was still fun to give one of these Just Minors products a chance! Thanks Dad for everything, you're the best! Stay tuned for the really good stuff...

See Ya!

Birthday Present from Dad!

Hey guys, Drew back here! To go along with William's great birthday gifts, my Dad also surprised me with something he picked up for me on my birthday! Check it out:

My dad and I both love Yogi Berra, in fact; he has to be both him and I's favorite retired player! So when I first saw "Yogi, It Ain't Over...", I was immediately excited! I have a lot of great books to read, but I haven't had much time for them lately. This one will definitely go onto that list, and it might move ahead of some other books on the rankings! I can only imagine what Yogi had to say in his autobiography! 

But wait.. there's more...

Yep, the book is signed by Yogi also! I can never have enough autographs of his, and I can now add "signed book" to my increasingly impressive collection of his. We came so close to meeting him in Cooperstown, but unfortunately he cancelled. I would still go out of my way to meet him, but I understand that he isn't exactly in mint condition anymore. It may never happen, but I'm still always on the lookout.

Thanks so much Dad for the great gift! I can't wait to read it!

See Ya!

Happy Belated 88th Birthday to Number 8! Card Show Add!

Hey guys, Drew back here! As many of you may have seen, Yogi Berra celebrated his 88th birthday this past week. The Hall of Fame catcher hasn't been doing very well from what I've been hearing, but I guess that's expected of most 88 year olds you come across. At the last card show I went to, many people were telling me that he's now done with signing autographs in person, and that the only way you can get your item signed is if Steiner comes up clutch for you. Basically, I probably won't ever get to put him on my Mantle photo, which really is unfortunate. However, at that show, since I didn't buy a whole lot else, Dad & I went in on one new piece for my collection. Observe:

Indeed, I've now added Yogi Berra to my signed baseball collection! I've been wanting a Yogi ball for a while now, so this was a really big addition personally. We got it from a dealer who we've seen at every show since we started going but never really bought from, but the experience sure seemed like we've already had a history! The guy was cool enough to knock $10 off the ball, and since it wasn't authenticated by any 3rd party company, he went and got the ball authenticated by JSA free of charge! Most of his items were already authenticated and a bunch of his other customers said all of his stuff was legit, and I knew a Yogi Berra auto when I saw one. But because he went so out of his way for us, it won't be the last time we buy from him! 

I'm so glad I took advantage of this opportunity, and I'm thrilled to add #8 to my ball collection! Happy belated birthday Yogi, and god bless!

See Ya!

It Appears that Joemama Stole from a Pirates Ship!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Last week, my Dad was at it again, and came home with some awesome cards from a local corner store that recently restocked in cards! I didn't see any of it coming, so it made for a great surprise! Take a look at what he gave me:

First off; this card was thrown in along with the others. It's a 1999 Flair Showcase David Cone parallel of some sort numbered 97/99. I'd never seen any of these cards before, so I don't know how rare they are, but it sounds like this particular card was quite rare for the time period. It's definitely one of the neater 1990's inserts I've seen so far!

Props to Topps Finest. All these years, Topps has executed wonderfully on the Finest product line, with a few years of exceptions. This 2002 Finest Don Larsen on card autograph is gorgeous; easily one of my favorite autographs in my Yankee collection. I have many different autographs of his (ball, bat, 8x10, several cards), but this one may be one of my favorites. 

I've acquired a ton of Yankees relics and autographs over the past few years, so I find it amazing that Dad rarely ever gets a card I already had. I was pumped when he pulled this 2001 Upper Deck Yankees Dynasty dual relic of Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera; my two all time favorite Yankee pitchers! I just rewatched the video I took of Mariano Rivera entering the first game I saw him pitch in, and boy was I pumped. "Enter Sandman" still gives me chills all these years later!

I feel bad asking for what he paid on the cards, but I'm always curious. This time, well, let's just say Dad won the battle of negotiation (if there even was any to begin with)! 

Indeed, that is a 2006 Bowman Chrome X-Fractor rookie autograph of Mr. Jose Bautista; one of today's most feared sluggers. Want to guess how much he paid? Here, use these links to help you out. Okay, if you guessed $10, then you are correct! My dad paid approximately 10% price on a card that sells for $100+!

I would jump to sell this, but I'm not sure how well my heart will feel about it. I like the Pirates quite a bit, and Bautista is one of my favorite players in the game, but this could fetch a pretty penny if I played my cards right. I may consider getting it graded, because I don't see a single issue with the card! I've never gotten anything graded before so my eye may not be keen enough to make that sort of judgment, but I think it could at least receive a 8.5-9 on a bad day.

It's just another scenario where my Dad flat out dominated the store, something he's gotten pretty good at over the years. I mean, heck, he landed us in Beckett Sports Card Monthly! Thank you so much Dad for always trying to help my collection grow. You've been a huge factor in making my hobby a home run!

Do you guys recommend grading the card? How much does it normally cost anyway? Thanks!

See Ya!

March 24th White Plains Show Pickups

Hey guys, Drew back here! So, on Sunday, Dad and I took a quick trip down to White Plains! I didn't bring as much money as I usually do, but I still had a good time and got some nice deals. The main reason I wanted to go was because some personal favorites of mine were signing autographs, and I wanted to add them into my signed baseball collection. You'll get to see all of that tomorrow, but for now, take a look at what I was able to pick up!

A little while into the show, I found a younger guy selling a bunch of prospect and star autographs, which is usually what I look for at these shows. Over time, I've composed a list of my Top 100 favorite players, and my goal is to eventually have an autograph of all of them (I have 66 of the 100)! However, this Ty Hensley autograph from the new Bowman Sterling stood out first to me, since I had the refractor version already. He wanted $8 for the card, which was a bit much for this one for me, so I tried to see if he could work with me. 

I then saw this sweet Zack Greinke autograph from 2004 Topps, and decided to ask the price on it. He said it books between $20 and $30, but then said he'd give me the two cards for $20! I couldn't pass up that offer, as Greinke had been an autograph on my list for a while now. However, I decided to keep looking and make sure there weren't any other cards I wanted. 

Well, there was one more, this sweet 2006 Upper Deck F/X Matt Cain autograph! Again, I inquired on the card, and he said it books around $30, but he'd give it to me for $10! I hadn't seen a Matt Cain autograph for around $10 in ages, so I pounced at the 3 for $30 offer he gave me! Cain and Greinke were two of the top pitchers I've wanted, so it was awesome to knock them both off in one swing. I don't believe that Greinke is deserving of the fattest contract for a right handed pitcher ever, but I guess he showed up to free agency at the right time.

Then, Dad & I went to a table ran by two girls that usually have the nicest new cards in the building. They have all sorts of rare 1/1's, printing plates, and parallels of prospects, you know; the stuff all out of my price range. However, they also had some mid-end stuff, including this beautiful Tyler Austin Bowman Chrome autograph! Austin's prices have skyrocketed since he became the Yankees 2nd best prospect according to many lists, so I've had a hard time getting a hold of this one for a solid price. Fortunately, I paid $30 for this one, which is certainly fair according to eBay value. The last time I spent $30 on a prospect autograph it was of Manny Banuelos, who proceeded to get injured directly after the purchase, crushing his stock. Hopefully that doesn't happen this go round.

My Dad decided to treat me to a sweet card also from the same girls, this 2006 Topps Finest Robinson Cano autograph! I can never add enough autographs of my favorite semi-affordable player, and Dad understood that by helping me out here. Now the 9th Cano autograph in my collection, this one is up there as one of the shiniest (go grammar!) of his that I own. However, this is already an old autograph in my Cano collection... and you'll see what I mean in a few days. 

Before Dad and I left the show we also picked up a jumbo pack of 2013 Topps! I haven't gotten to open any of it yet but made it a priority to do so at the show. I really like the design, and I think a lot of them would look great signed TTM. I counted about 8 cards in the 50 card pack that will probably be going out in the mail once the season starts, so hopefully I'll get a few of those back as well. It's amazing to see how clear and visually appealing Topps' flagship products have gotten over the years. I'm definitely impressed, even though I'm not exactly a huge Topps fan thanks to their poor customer service.

Fortunately, I did awesome on the inserts, although I didn't get a hit in the pack. I don't think I'd trade any of these, except for the Lowe emerald which will probably go towards William's set chase. By the way, if anyone has any of those emeralds laying around, be sure to go check out his blog and see if you can help with his daunting task! Final thoughts: the Calling Cards seem pretty pointless but I love the die-cuts and '72 minis! I tried the Million Dollar Chase and it is pretty lame. If anyone wants Desmond Jennings (who went undrafted in my 8 team fantasy draft) for their Topps team let me know.

Thanks again to Dad for taking me to the show and for the Cano! I've got a whole lot of awesome things to come; be on the lookout! See Ya!