Series 1, Box 1: Hits & Inserts !

Like last year I couldn't help myself and ordered 4 hobby boxes as I love to open packs of wax !! As I have a 1 week delay given the travel distance most cards has already been across the blogosphere (and back) and people are gradually getting tired of seeing more Series 1 basecards (I assume). So therefore, I won't bore you with any basecards and will focus solely on the hits and inserts !

I think that 2013 Series 1 has the best inserts of the last decade, I seem to like them all !! But before we move to the inserts let's start with the hits or actually 1 hit per box..........for me that was.....a redemption.......I am starting to get a bit annoyed with redemption cards. This is my 3rd one and I have never actually received a redemption card (although the Topps site indicates it has "shipped", whatever that may mean....). Nevertheless, it could be a cool card once it arrives somewhere in the future !

Now let's start with the inserts ! One of the most awesome inserts: Cut to the Chase ! Really nice beautiful thick and strong cards ! Box 1 had my first 3, Gwynn, Musial and McCutchen !

Almost as cool are the "The Greats" inserts, really nice thick cards as well. Here are Pujols and Henderson. I noticed they put in a Glavine as well !!! The first Glavine card in a few years I think so great news !! Sadly enough I didn´t pull any yet....

That's not all, Topps put in another nice inserts set, "Calling Card". Really like this one as well (I am starting to sound like a Topps groupie!)

The Chasing the Dream inserts also look nice. I really like the Rizzo as I attended his debut game at the Cubs in which he played very well and had several hits !

As you know, I am a big fan of minis and Series 1 also has minis !!!

Lastly, Topps has a Chasing History insert set as well (we seem to be "chasing" this year!). They as well look cool, the only downside is that they should start to put in some Glavine and Blyleven ! Still, very happy to pull Sabathia, Seaver and Nolan !!

Given that I like all the insert sets I am going to chase them all ! A nice challenge for 2013 !

That's it for today, thanks for the visit ! Be on the look out for some cool pulls from box 2 in the coming days!

Wanna join the Million Dollar Chase !!

Like last year I bought a few hobby boxes of Series 1, always a fun start of a new year of collecting. Also like last year, people from Europe are not allowed to join the "fun" events that Topps organizes around Series 1. Therefore, I have again 24 Million Dollar Chase cards available which are of no use to me. Of course I could sell them on eBay but I rather given some rewards to me loyal readers (Yes, I mean you !!!)

So it is going to be simple, the first 24 of my loyal readers to comment will be e-mailed one of the (lucky) codes !! Also, you have to follow my blog and have my blog in your blog roll (which hopefully is already the case !!). Simple right ?!

So leave a comment and let's start the chase !!!! (and let's hope I have 24 readers !!)

Thanks for the visit and stay tuned for the hits & inserts from Series 1 boxes in the coming days !

Nachos Grande Break Loot !

Chris at Nachos Grande recently held a box break opening up several cool boxes including 2005 Upper Deck Past Time Pennants, 2000 Topps Finest, 2006 Flair Showcase and 2004 Upper Deck Play Ball. I was fast and could claim the Yankees (!) and got allocated the Expos (it always feels I am getting the Expos or Marlins, so hard to get rid of these cards in trades :-)). Here's what I got !

Let's start with my hit of the break, a nice Matsui relic from the Play Ball set !

The nicest set was the Upper Deck Past Time Pennants, really nice looking cards. Here are two black&white ones of DiMaggio and Yogi Berra ! 

The cloured ones also look nice, here's Ford and Dent...I might even try to complete this set !

I also received a bunch of Play Ball cards, here's what they look like !

Also some Flair Showcase and Topps Finest, I am not much of a fan of that year's Finest to be honest...

One more "hit" I received ! Well, "hit" is maybe a big word but she looks nice !!

Thanks for the break Chris, keep up the good work !! Thanks everyone for visiting today !

Why, Why Why......it Hurts !!

My first official "complaint post" in the history of this blog (or at least as far as I can remember!). In the last few days I found out that the dear friends at the USPS almost DOUBLED postage for sending a simple yellow envelop with a few baseball cards to Europe. The official rate went from something like $3.99 to $6.99. I hear the USPS is close to bankruptcy so I can imagine why they do it but it does still hurt.....On eBay most sellers have quickly adjusted postage already so instead of my starting bid for a card being $3.99 in postage (+ usually at least $0.99) the bidding for me already starts at $6.99 + $0.99, so around $8.

This is very annoying and likely drives me to only do a bit more higher-end cards through eBay and/or Glavines I really really want (because I need to feed the hunger here of course !!). It will likely also drive me more towards COMC.

At the same time of course I fear that trades will be harder to accomplish with all of you, not from my perspective as prices to send stuff from here to the US has not changed, but I can imagine that people will now start thinking twice about setting up a trade, in particular for base cards. I won't blame anyone and always feel free to say "no" to any trade suggestions I make (because my suggestions will continue :-))

On the box break front I am planning to continue to participate as long as the organisers let me :-) Of course I will pay extra for postage so feel free to, and simply do, require that from me....

Let me end my rant here and thanks everyone for listening !! And before I forget, let me honor my "at least one card per post"policy so here's one that I was able to pick-up before the postage increase !! A cool Sabathia mini relic from the 2011 Lineage set !

More Dimwit Loot !

I recently participated in a cool box break by Sam at TheDailyDimwit, breaking several boxes including 2011 Allen & Ginter, 2011 Lineage, 2006 Ovation and 2011 Topps Chrome. I was in time to claim the Yankees with the randomizer giving me the Brewers. Here's a portion of what was included in the package !!

Let's start with the hits...and I was lucky enough to have a few !! Another Hector Noesi card for my Yankees collection although he is not a Yankee anymore...same for Burnett and given that I already own one of these it is up for trade !!

The loot also included a numbered Robinson Cano and a very cool Sabathia for my player collection !

Mariano Rivera was also present so I could add a Lineage Stand-up card to my Rivera PC !

I really like the Ovation set from 2006, one that I have been able to complete and for which I am only looking for some "gold" variations. Here are two examples, both for trade !

All in all a cool break so thanks very much for organising it Sam! Looking forward to the next one!

By the way, I have plenty of 2011 Lineage, 2011 A&G and 2006 Ovations for trade so if you still need anything from these sets let me know ! When it comes to trading however, I am going to complain a little in the next few days so stay tuned !!

Thanks for the visit today !

Leaf Inscriptions: Legends of Sport

I recently noticed that another Blyleven card was included in a 2012, Leaf Inscriptions, Legends of Sport. As I am trying to collect a version of each Blyleven card the chase began ! A few weeks back of one the cards popped-up and it arrived last week. A cool card, numbered to only 10 with an extra inscription on the card. Several different inscriptions are floating around so I need to make up my mind if I want to chase those as well. For now, I am very happy with this one, my latest Blyleven card !!

Thanks for the visit today !

Guy with a Hat !

I didn't own a card with a baseball hat before so when I noticed this one I picked it up. The card includes a nice signature as well, my first one Chase Wright ! A really thick card with a rubber-like hat in it, interesting concept to say the least !

This was the first time I saw a card like this....Anyone of you guys own such a card ?