A full Reds Team Set

A Full Reds Team Set Of.....

1995 Topps DIII

Topps D3 was one of the card "crazes" that started with Kellog's 3-D in the 70's and was foisted upon the consumer over the decades that no one really liked. Kellog's off and on until the 1980's. Sportflics for a few years from 85-91. Topps in 1969.

These D3 cards are much thicker than a standard baseball card. Not as thick as a patch relic card but close. And the colors are a bit more subdued but varied than regular Kellog's cards. This allows for a full action shot to be seen. Not the standard portrait or small photo in a small area in previous lenticular cards of the past. Not a very collectable set. The only reason I have them, besides being a Reds collector, is they appeared in various Reds lots I have bought over the past few years. So here is the three card set:

33 Barry Larkin

38 Jose Rijo

 

48 Brett Boone

 

This is not one of those set people look for in PSA 10. If they even know it exists. 

Happy Collecting!

Is This Thing On?

Well...

Check one two. Check. Check. One two.

Looks like it is still on.

Thought my last post broke the interwebz.

Today I bring to the masses a prime example of how todays autograph and game used card market is either high or low with just a few in betweens.

2005 Leaf Certified Materials

167 Ryan Wagner

Mirror White Version

13 / 25

For a year or two after the release of Leaf Certified Materials, parallel, autograph and game used cards were going for top dollar. I remember dropping out on the bidding for this exact card when it reached fifteen dollars. Now you can find all but the top stars for under three dollars. This one I won in an auction for 99¢ with free shipping. Granted, Ryan did not pan out as a top tier starter. So that helps with the low prices. But an almost ten year old auto at this price is a steal. 

To me 2005 Leaf Certified Materials is one of the best designs of 2005 sets. The background is a bit of art deco meets techno. The different mirror versions available made a very cool rainbow for player collectors four years before Topps got into the 15 parallels per card game. And Topps are not nearly as good design wise to me. Granted, the seven parallels plus game used bat plus autos plus parallels of the game used and then parallels of the autos led to up to 24 different versions of a single card was pretty much what killed off Donruss. It is still fun to look for that one card you need.

Finding affordable cards today is much easier than it was in 2005-7. Team collectors are starting to thin out card sets they did not complete. Card shops are putting these online at a better rate after sitting for years in boxes. And that is both good and bad. To me, most collectors I meet do not care about value in the long term. But when it has gotten to a point where only the hottest rookies and MLB stars can get more than five dollars per card is a little sad. A little return on investment is good. But I am also thankful that I can be three cards away from having every 2005 Ryan Wagner produced (outside of the scourge of all that is holy in baseball - the Press Plate).

The quest for completing each Red card numbered above / 5 from 2005 continues. One card down. Just over 600 to go.

2009 Gummie Awards

If you have not head on over and vote on what you think are the best and worst of the year.

I just have one bone to pick with the votes so far that I see. The voting for the Jefferson Burdick Award for Contributions to the Hobby in particular. You have the choice between Keith Olberman, Mario Alejandro, Stephen Judd and Sy Berger.

For those of you who are not sure who Jefferson Burdick is, he is the father of card collecting. His research in the fields of cards, postcards, valentines and basically everything paper related he could find led to a system for cataloging of cards that we still use today. Jefferson's collection is stored and displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York City. His cataloging helped out the early pioneers of our hobby learn what was out there. If cards were even made. How rare something was in the 1940's. Today we take all this for granted but that was a tough task in the 30's. 40's and 50's.

I my opinion there should be no contest. Sy Berger should have 95% of the votes. In the history of baseball cards he is the Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Nolan Ryan and Johnny Bench all rolled into one. He is the man who made the modern baseball card. He was the designer, back of card writer, idea man, strong armed contract guy signing up everyone he could and finally the champion of selling cards that kids WANTED in the 50's and 60's. Without Sy there would be no 1952 Mantle. Without Sy there would be no 1973 Topps. Without Sy there would be irregular, low budget sets throughout the years since he was the man who convinced the higher ups at Topps Co. best way to sell more gum for the was to add it to baseball card packs.

In the days before ESPN, inter webz and when kids still watched This Week In Baseball and read box scores and even listend to the Reds on transistor radios, Sy was the man who gave those kids the face to go with the stat line in the box score. He showed kids in Louisiana what the uniforms looked like for the Los Angeles Angels. Sy inspired the cool facts on the back of the baseball cards like Mark listens to records on his hi-fi system in the off season. Bob was a pitcher on the California Little League World Championship team in 1972. Dayf believes in getting high on cards and not drugs. I am sure you have a goofy or cool one you have memorized.

Has Olberman done anything as groundbreaking as this? Not even close. He has written some pretty good articles for SCD that helped me fill in some gaps on vintage isues. But he is best known to me for snapping up as many short prints and rarities as he can as fast as he can. Not inspiring kids to collect or learn.

Mario definitely had a big influence in 2009. But outside of constantly telling me how great cards in the 1990's were compared to today, I really can't think of the year's from now we will still use work he did. Sure he pissed off Beckett. But that was easy once he got large enough to matter to them. If my blog wrote the same things, they wouldn't give a flip. Box breaks are a dime a dozen on video and he was not the first to do those. Nor the best. In Wax Heaven's short life it gave people a place to speak out. But it did not change collecting. If you are going by inspirational value fo the vote, Ben Henry did more to show bloggers and collectors how it's done with style and good writting to those of us who started in the early days of blogging.

As for Stephen Judd I can't comment because I don't know who he is. I will remedy that today.

In the words of James B. Anama:
These are just the words of this humble blog writer.

If this is Fake

I couldn't care less

2004 SP Game Used Patch

Seriously!
Prime patch! Autographed! Decent serial number!

AND THE REDS RUNNING MAN!

How gnarley is that bad boy!!!!!!
Who cares if it is 3 or 4 colors?

IT'S THE REDS RUNNING MAN!
LAUGHING AT GREG MADDUX!

These kinds of cards make a great display to show friends who have no clue about modern cards. Awesome colors. Great design. And when is the last time you saw a truly bad ass patch piece on a card? So enjoy the greatness that is The Reds Running Man and wish the other so called teams in baseball had a patch a quarter as gnarley you could see.

As I gazed out the window

On a rainy day in Weed, CA. I saw something. A full rainbow. Not one of those half azz, Cub's late season collapse rainbows. But a Big Red Machine Rainbow.


It was nice and reminded me of something I had not shown you guys yet.

2006 Bowman
No. 77 Felipe Lopez Base Card

2006 Bowman

No. 77 Felipe Lopez Gold Border

2006 Bowman
No. 77 Felipe Lopez White Border

2006 Bowman
No. 77 Felipe Lopez Blue Border

2006 Bowman
No. 77 Felipe Lopez Red Border
1 / 1

How often do you see a full player rainbow? This was one of those type in Reds in the ebay search engine and I found and won. Thank to you guys out there who give up on players just because they were traded. Makes life good for true collectors.
It truly is fun to have at least one player rainbow for your team. It's as rare as an eighth inning triple from Ken Griffey, Jr. But it's A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

Who are you Anonymous?

First, I would like to thank you for faithfully following my Reds Card blog that rarely updates. It takes a dedicated inividual to read and reread and rereread various posts.

Second, I would like to give you a new mission in life. Instead of coming here and asking my opinion on video games I don't play. Game systems I don't own. And VG Tournies I will never seek out to enter, I would ask that you concentrate on this guy:

Barry Larkin

See Anonymous, Barry is in his first year of elegebility for the Baseball Hall of Fame. He has a tough road ahead of him to get in on his first ballot. Hawk, Bert, Robby all have legit shots at enshrinement this year. So a measly .300 career batting avg, 2,000+ hits, an MVP, World Series ring, multiple Gold Gloves, Silver Sluggers and being a hometown icon may not matter to voters as much.

Granted I would like to see Davey get in this year with Barry this year but let's get that comment campaign going for our man Larkin! Cause I need more great cards of Barry to add to my collection like the above 2005 Donruss Signature Stars Bat / Autograph numbered to ONLY 25! As you can see Mr. Larkin is daring some schlub named Chipuh to try his luck with a hit baseball in Barry's direction. Add that to the bat used in hiting the game winning RBI and a great sig and we have a classic card.

If you need help Anonymous let me know. Just send me a great comment I can cut and paste and we can get on this!

Barry For The Hall

Go here:

http://collectivetroll.blogspot.com/2009/08/bloggers-vote-for-hall-of-fame-contest.html#comment-form

Collective Troll has a Hall Of Fame vote contest going. VOTE BARRY!
VOTE NOW!

Brads Random Red #63

2005 Upper Deck Etchings

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Etched in Time Silver Autograph

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Ken Griffey Sr. (258 of 375)

I love this Ken Griffey Sr. auto. His big sh*t eaters grin is hilarious. Whoever smelt it dealt it Ken! LOL

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Until Next Time...

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Mahalo and Aloha, Brad

Brads Random Red #62

2002 Fleer Patchworks

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Licensed Apparel Patch

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Austin Kearns (92 of 150)

Here's a beauty of a number patch. Perfect chunk from the corner! Awesome!

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And the final card tonight...

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Mahalo and Aloha, Brad

Brads Random Red #61

2008 TriStar Refractor

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Rookie Autograph

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Jay Bruce (30 of 50)

Okay, I know. This is a minor league card but its still an awesome rookie card of an awesome Reds rookie!

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Almost Done For The Night...

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Mahalo and Aloha, Brad

Brads Random Red #60

1963 Topps (RC) & 1964 Topps

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In Person Autographs

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Jim Campbell

Crazy but brief.... I am the drafter/architect/estimator for my jobsite here in Hawaii. Well the place that I order my light fixtures at so happens to be the son of Jim Campbell. I've known his son through my company for the past few years and a xmas or two ago I gave him all the cards of his father that were released (about 12). Well I get a package a week later with signed cards and 8x10s. A month later I meet this hot blonde and we start dating. Turns out her Godfather is Jim Campbell's son. Small world/smaller island. Well a couple months later the relationship dies out and things haven't been quite the same at work with the business relationship with the son. Doh! Still got these sweet cards though!

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4th Up...

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Mahalo and Aloha, Brad

Brads Random Red #59

2008 Finest Moments

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Red Refractor Autograph

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Brandon Phillips (9/25)

Here is a sweet Brandon Phillips auto. This card is so Bradass that it has no book value due to scarcity! Nothing like having a Reds card sporting a Red Refractor finish. The only thing lacking on this card would have been a red autograph.

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Next up...

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Mahalo and Aloha, Brad

Brads Random Red #58

2005 Prime Patches M.L. Materials

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Game Used Number Patch

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Aaron Boone (44/53)

Well after a long hiatus I've found myself with a little free time so I'm back to posting our good ole' favorite Random Red cards. I've received quite a few new nice Reds cards so here's 6 to get things going. First off we have this real nice Aaron Boone Number Patch. A trifecta of sorts. Its a jersey card, with a stripe, and a patch. I love this one!

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On to the second card...

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Mahalo and Aloha, Brad

Reds Make Fail Blog!

Congrats to the Reds ground crew for making sure they get some much needed love.

http://failblog.org/2009/07/13/grounds-crew-fail/

Jumpin Jay Zus on a Nuclear Powered Pogo Stick

Am I glad I am not a paying to see the Yankees play. Either this team truly sucks this year or that stadium plays SMALL.

Cleveland
	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	LOB	Season Avg
G. Sizemore cf	4	3	3	1	1	1	0	.275
T. Crowe cf	2	0	1	1	0	0	0	.238
M. DeRosa 3b	7	2	4	6	0	1	0	.255
V. Martinez c	4	2	2	2	1	0	0	.388
K. Shoppach c	2	0	0	0	0	1	3	.286
T. Hafner dh	7	3	3	1	0	2	6	.289
J. Peralta ss	5	3	3	2	1	0	3	.333
S. Choo rf	4	2	1	3	2	2	4	.275
R. Garko 1b	6	1	2	1	0	0	1	.286
B. Francisco lf	5	3	2	0	1	2	6	.211
A. Cabrera 2b	6	3	4	5	0	1	1	.351
Totals	52	22	25	22	6	10	24

Congrats to Cleveland in this game.
That is one of the gaudiest boxes I have ever seen.
Indians 22 Yankees 4