2008 Allen & Ginter Hobby Box Break

Well this is my second ever hobby box, and my first Baseball hobby box! I have now been officially collecting cards for 2 months!, well collecting again... I will post pics hopefully Sunday or Monday...

I love the base set! I think the cards are amazing, I will definitely go back and collect the '06 and '07 of this set!

I got no doubles of the base, 1 double of the states, which was Lastings Milledge.

There were 2 world leaders

#WL2 - Kevin Rudd of Australia
#WL15 - Angela Merkel of Germany



3 black bordered minis

David Wright
Felix Hernandez
Hudson Street



1 Baseball Icon

#BI13 - Lou Gehrig



1 mini NNO

Luke Scott (I hear this is very rare?)

I also got:

NNO - Kosuke Fukudome (I read there are only 50 of these in existence...does anyone know if that's true?)




The Hits:

#AGR-ATK - Adam Kennedy (STL) Jersey (Grey)
#AGR-IR1 - Ivan Rodriguez (DET) Jersey (White)


#AGR-JDD - Johnny Damon (NYY) Bat


#AGA-PW - Pete Weber Auto (out of 190?)



Well overall thoughts...I would buy this set again in a heartbeat. The baseset is amazing, probably my favorite base out there. I enjoy the States cards, but it excludes anyone Canadian so I don't like that. The mini's are fun.

I think ... think....that this was a loaded box. 2 no number cards (supposedly only 50 nno cards are made and finding one is like 1:151 packs and I got 2 and one is Fukudome, whom I do enjoy watching play). A baseball Icon - Lou Gehrig (1:48 packs). I really like the idea of the bat relic. It's Johnny Damon, possibly the only Yankee I can stand...well beside Joba, but that's because of his name. The Weber auto is cool, but disappointing as I don't care about him at all, but it's short printed to 190, so I hope I can use it to trade for something Prince Fielder.

On that note, not one Fielder or Braun base card, mini...anything in the box. That said, I would buy this again. Heck I just might some day soon!

Also no Ancient Icons, a set I would like to collect!

I'm hoping my next break will be either 2 boxes of Champs or if I decide to buy another box of A&G early. I usually only buy 1 box a month. I'm trying to limit my packs as well and just buy cards I need and players I want.

Again I'll post pics later. This was an exciting and wonderful product. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Goose Joak Cards, Day 4

These Goose Joak Cards are really starting to make a buzz around the Internet, and truth is, with what an amazing idea this is...I'm not surprised at all!

Milwaukee Brewers:

Chris Capuano



Capuano missed the entire 2008 season due to Tommy John Surgery. The Brewers resigned him to a minor league contract in 2008. His delivery is deceptive and his fastball can reach the low 90s. He is a good middle man, it will be interesting to see how he pitches in 2009.

Tony Gwynn Jr.


The Brewers recently signed Gwynn (and many others) to a one year contract. He has a sweet left handed swing, is able to find the gaps, runs well, and is very versatile. He is not a power hitter and an outfield position is not an assured thing.

Toronto Blue Jays:

Brandon League


League is a strong pitcher, his slider can reach 100 mph! He also has a strong fastball and change-up, which make him a versatile and potentially dominant pitcher. At the moment he's more of a groundball pitcher than a strikeout artist. However, he is young (25) and has vast potential.

Adam Lind

In 2008 Lind spent the majority of his time in the Jays AAA only to hit .300 and earn a call-up again on June 21, 2008 by new Manager Cito Gaston. His results in 88 games he hit .282, 9 Home Runs, 48 runs with 40 RBI's. He has decent power with a quick, sweet swing. He also has remarkable plate discipline. However, his defensive play leaves something to be desired and seems as though he would be better suited in the DH role.

Goose Joak Cards, Day 3

Another day, another 4 Goose Joak cards. I love this idea, I've even debated printing out some of these cards and sending them down to Spring Training to see if I can get them signed. I have a few players of which I have more than one card for, at the end of all this, I'll post them with a poll and see which is liked better. But for now...

Milwaukee Brewers:


Carlos Villanueva

Villanueva is a workhorse, he is used to being a starting pitcher. However, it seems as though this year he will be a set-up man and possibly the Brewers closer. The closer role seems fitting for him and I personally think it will be his sooner than later, especially with Hoffman being 41 years old. I know the Brewers brought him in as a closer, but I wonder if Hoffman would be better as the set-up man. Only time will tell. One thing is for sure, the Brewers back end is looking decent this year with Hoffman, Villanueva and Gagne.


Rickie Weeks

Weeks is a speed man, he has stolen 19, 25, 19 bases in the past 3 years. He also has decent power, as he hit 14 homeruns in 2008. However, I don't believe he is a capable 20-20 player. He is weak defensively making countless errors. In 2008, he had the lowest fielding percentage (.975) and the most errors (15) of all NL second basemen. Nonetheless, it's his offense that keeps him consistently in the line up.

Toronto Blue Jays:

Shaun Marcum

Marcum's breakout season was in 2007 when he went 12-6 with an ERA of 4.13. He is primarily known as a power pitcher, clocking in the low 90s. Watching him pitch in early 2008 was a treat as he went 5-4 with a 2.65 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 98.2 Innings. However, he hurt his elbow and required surgery. Sadly, he will most likely miss the 2009 season because of this.

Lyle Overbay

Overbay is the Blue Jays First Baseman. He is a power hitter, but compared to many of the other first base players in the league he is slightly underwhelming. However, his plate discipline is excellent. He consistently gets on base and produces runs. He is also an excellent defensive player.

A Night In with JJ

Well my wife is out for the night and I have 5 hours to myself. So I've decided to have a JJ Abrams marathon, Alias and Lost. The only thing that would make the night complete would be trading cards from JJ shows like the following...











Defiantly have to try and get my hands on a few boxes or packs of these. JJ and Whedon are my heroes...and having a part of these shows (auto's and used) would be amazing!

Goose Joak Cards, Day 2

Well it's day two and here are four more of my cards for the Goose Joak card set.

Milwaukee Brewers:

JJ Hardy

J.J. Hardy, drafted in 2005 by the Brewers, is a fan favorite. In 2008 he batted .283, with 2 stolen bases, 24 home runs, and 74 RBIs. He is a sound defensive player with a strong arm, however he tends to make too many errors. He is an intense player who goes through hitting streaks and slumps. No matter what, he is always fun to watch!

Corey Hart

Power, speed and tattoos, the three things that Corey Hart is known for on the field. He "hits like Mays and runs like Hays." At 6'6" Hart is the fastest runner on the Brewers team. In 2008 he hit average is .286, with 16 homeruns , 60 RBI's , and 15 stolen bases. It was not Hart's best year, he is likely to rebound in 2009 and be more around a 20-20 player.

Toronto Blue Jays:

Dustin McGowan

McGowan is one of those pitchers that is just fun to watch. Unfortunately what makes him fun to watch also makes him vulnerable, with his high kick delivery making him susceptible to base-stealers. McGowan's fast ball can reach up to 98 mph. In July 2008 he had season ending shoulder surgery. It is projected that McGowan could one day be the Blue Jays ace.

Vernon Wells

Normally I like to talk about the players, and I will...but first I wanted to talk about this photo. Wells is primarily known for his power and his cards usually capture this. I decided to take a different direction and use a picture of him sitting, after being tagged out at home plate. I also try to use photos that are positive for the players, not showing them being tagged out or striking out, however, I thought this was just fun.

In 2008 Wells batted batted .300 with 20 home runs and 78 RBIs in 108 games, however he missed 58 games in 2008. In an attempt to avoid injury this season Wells hired a personal trainer, lost fat and gained muscle, however, he injured his hamstring during spring training 2009. Hopefully this year will see Wells healthy. When healthy he is capable of 30+ homeruns

Goose Joak Cards...redo

Well a while ago I was talking about the creatively wonderful brainchild of Dave at Goose Joak which was to create our own baseball cards. I love this idea and am very passionate about it! However the past month there have been a number of problems. GIMP, a photo editing program I was attempting to use, was the bain of my existence. I finally gave up on it and got photoshop. I also had a virus wipe out a good chunk of my computer, so many of the cards I created were lost.

Well hopefully like the Phoenix these cards have risen out of the ashes of my doom and will hopefully be even better than before. I think I'm around 50% done my cards right now, including a very special card which I will reveal at the very end of this show and tell. I'll try and show 4 cards every day, 2 Brewers and 2 Blue Jays, and the "special project card" at the very end of it all.

I hope you enjoy!

Milwaukee Brewers:

Prince Fielder:

Prince Fielder is my favorite Baseball player, in the history of baseball, past and present, he is my favorite. Why? Have you seen him hit a ball? He has a sweet swing, it looks so natural. Plus he's named Prince, I'm come freaking on, he is the Prince of Baseball, someday he will be King! In his rookie year this kid hit 28 home-runs, leading the rookie pack. In his second year he hit 50, the youngest ever! 2008 saw Fielder hit .276 batting average, 34 home runs, 102 RBI, 86 runs and 84 walks. The guy is only 24 years old, bound to reach the 50 mark again. In 2008 he became a Vegan, after reading Skinny Bitch. While I could personally never give up meat, I think that it's awesome that he is an advocate for animal rights!

Ryan Braun:


Another young player in Milwaukee that is a pure player of the game. Ryan "The Hebrew Hammer" Braun! With a nickname like that it's no wonder he hit 34 and 37 Home-runs consecutively with 14 and 15 Stolen Bases. Watching him and Fielder play has brought me back to the game. They just enjoy playing, to them they are living the dream and having a blast. I love that. I hope the two of them stay with the Brewers for a very long time to come!

Toronto Blue Jays:

Alex Rios:

Rios has been a conundrum, in 2006 he hit 17 home-runs with 17 stolen bases, in 2007 he hit 24 home-runs with 17 stolen bases and in 2008 he hit 15 home-runs with 32 stolen bases. The question on everyone's mind this season is which Rios will we see? Personally I'd like to see him have a 20-20 year and I think he's more than capable of it. Rios is considered a franchise player for the Jays, but at 28 which is the real Rios?

Roy Halladay:


"Doc" Halladay, the cornerstone of the Jays pitching. A true workhorse. 2008 saw Halladay with 206 k's a career high! Halladay was drafted by the Jays in 1998 and has been with the team ever since. I'd like to see him finish his career there. I enjoy watching him pitch, his arsenal includes a four-seam fastball which he can throw in the mid 90s, a two-seam (sinking) fastball which he throws at 92-94 MPH, a curveball which he throws around 77 MPH, a cutter which he throws at 90-92 MPH, and a changeup. He generally can use any of these pitches in any count, which serves to make him even more effective, and keeps hitters off pace.

National Hockey Card Day 2009 Part 2

Okay so, yesterday I reported that I was able to find ONE place in Airdrie that has National Hockey Card Day Cards... well I went back to that place today and lo and behold, they still had tons. They told me that I get get a pack a day until they run out. So, to my fellow Canadians out there, check out your stores, they may still have. If not let me know, I finished my set but am defiantly going back for more, so if you need or want....I'll try and get as many as I can!

National Hockey Card Day 2009

Well today in Canada is...NATIONAL HOCKEY CARD DAY 2009...run...don't walk to your nearest card store (I hear Walmart has them). They are supposedly only out today, and you are only "allowed" 1 card per person.

I was with my wife and saw that a card store in Airdrie had them so I asked one worker there if I could have one and my wife as well. Then we went back later and got a few more from a different worker.

I'll post pics later, probably tomorrow, when I have time

So of the 4 packs I got, Two packs are identical and the other two packs were identical...so Here's what I got

Just remember all cards are x2

HCD2 Kyle Turris
HCD3 Josh Bailey
HCD4 Colton Gillies
HCD6 Sidney Crosby
HCD7 Vincent Lecavalier
HCD8 Jarome Iginla
HCD9 Joe Sakic
HCD11 Wayne Gretzky
HCD14 Bobby Orr
HCD15 Don Cherry

My wife and I will be heading out to the local Walmart soon to see if they have any, I'm hoping to have at least one complete set, maybe more if I can find them.

God Bless Canada and it's love of Hockey!

Update: no luck at walmart

Brew Crew and Jays News

Just a little news out there for anyone interested...

Corey Hart and the Milwaukee Brewers have come to an agreement, thank god, with a one year deal. Hopefully they sign him for much longer, the Brewers have a nice group of young, talented players that really make for a nice franchise for the next few years!

The Brewers signed Eric Gagne to a minor league contract. Personally I don't like or care for Gagne, last year he wasn't very good and I think the Brewers have better potential for closers.

Ben Sheets won't be going to the Texas Rangers, as he's going to have elbow surgery. Hopefully he'll stay with the Brewers, as the Brewers need better depth in the Bullpen this year! CC come back!!!!!



TSN has already posted their 2009 Blue Jays schedule

Can't wait for the season to start, and most of all...FANTASY BASEBALL!!!!

Online Trades

Well I have mixed feelings about online trades. I've made a few trades with other bloggers and that has gone fantastic. It's a great way to get to know other people and it helps you to collect the cards you want and trade off the cards that you don't want.

However, I've also joined a few of the online trading sites and this has not gone over so well for me. First off, I mostly collect hockey cards, but I do collect some baseball. Nonetheless, as I have just gotten back into the hobby, I don't have a lot of cards to trade and the majority of the ones I have are hockey cards. This seems to be a problem online as most people I would be trading with collect mostly baseball.

Also as I have just recently started collecting again, most of the sets I'm working on are practically considered ancient as most collectors have completed their sets and moved on to newer sets. So I'm trying to complete the subsets (Rookies, Stars, Legends) for the 08/09 Artifacts Hockey...which has been kind of difficult to do. But I'm in no hurry, so that's a good thing. I also would prefer not to buy cards on ebay.

I guess the point of all this is...I just spend the better part of 2 months putting together a wishlist from one collectors Trade List and had put together a bunch of cards that were on his. We had many correspondences, but they were sporadic at best. I hadn't heard anything from him in the past 2-3 weeks, so I sent him a PM asking if he was still interested in a trade. His response was he was but since the trade was so small he was going to pass! Pass! Small! The total was a buy value of over $40, that's not small to me! Moreover, I had spent so much time trying to put this deal together that he seemed interested in only to get that as a response.

Does anyone else have these experiences or is it just me?

2008/2009 UD Champs Hockey

I have to say I'm really looking forward to this set.

The cards are named after a 1924/25 hockey card release by the Champ’s Cigarette Company of Canada.

I know many people have varying thoughts on this set, which includes a 480 card mini card subset and the possibility of getting a Dinosaur tooth or bone, or a trilobite.




I have to say, I would really like to get one of those cards, a Dino Tooth or bone! To me that's just too cool. I've had a passion for dinosaurs since I was a kid, around the same time I was collecting cards. Now that I've started collecting cards again, it's nice to see that they are combining my two childhood passions, hockey cards and dinosaurs.

Overall, I like the set, they have the old school feel like the Allen & Ginter set does for baseball. This seems to be Upper Decks Hockey response to the A&G set, which I am a HUGE fan of!

I will definitely be getting myself a few boxes of this when it comes out. Sadly my only regret is that I can't get a case to guarantee something from the “Fossil and Artifact” cards.

The box features 24 packs of 5 cards each, and each box will contain 2 mini signatures, 1 mini threads card, and 1 brown back parallel as well as the assortment of short prints.

The Set drops, March 17th, 2009! I personally Can't wait!

The Beckett Blog has a number of pictures of the Champ's mini Signatures, check them out!

Mail Day 11/02/2009

Today, marks the first mail day that I've ever had!

Brian sent me a bunch of cards, Thank you very much Brian, I really appreciate it!

He sent me an 08/09 UD McDonalds #50 Alexander Ovechkin base card, the only base card I was missing...My base set is now complete!



He was also awesome and sent me a bunch of Flames and Canucks cards which included some Kirk McLean, Taylor Pyatt, Stephane Yelle and Trevor Linden!



He also sent along a Michael Jordan vs. Magic Johnson card, which just takes me back!



Moreover, he sent a pack of 99/00 UD Gold Reserve, which unbelievably included a Mark Messier as a Canuck card!!!!!



Thank you very much Brian!

The Good, The Bad and the HOLY SH*T!

Okay so I got back from my first Hobby Shop experience buying a Hobby Box.

The Good - I bought a hobby box of 08/09 UD Artifacts.

The Bad - They didn't have 2009 Topps Baseball Series 1 boxesin. They also were rip off artists trying to trade in cards for hobby boxes...which royaly pissed me off. I will not even bother trying that again!

The HOLY SH*T - The hits out of the box

I pulled the usual Rookies, Rookie redemptions, Stars and Legends. All nice.




I also Pulled a Peter Forsberg Frozen Artifacts (Jersey and Patch) 24/50

Which I traded with my brother-in-law (a HUGE Colorado fan) for a 08/09 UD Series 1 Miikka Kiprusoff Patch card 01/15 (I'm a huge Flames fan...gotta love family!)

A Micheal Ryder and Guillaume Latendresse Tundra Tandums Tri-Color with Stitching 062/100




A Jarome Iginla Treasured Swatches Duel Color 096/100




AND A BOBBY ORR AUTOFACTS CARD!!!! I LOVE BOBBY ORR! SWEEEEEEEEEEEEETTT

Sick of Ebay and Beckett pricing?

As I've ranted this past week, I'm a little frustrated about the whole Ebay/Beckett pricing. Well finally someone has come up with a solution.

Mike Smith, Owner and President, of The Cardboard Connection, has upgraded his site and produced a social network site and a marketplace with fixed-prices and auction style selling formats.

I personally think this is a great idea, but I guess time will see how it does or if we'll be back on our blogs ranting about this as well.

Personally I hope it helps and does well. So Please check it out!

The Death of Hobby Shops?

I was talking to my Brother-in-law today and he was telling me that in the hobby shop that he goes to the owners trade him cards at a 2 to 1 price. He trades 2 base cards for 1 base card.

Now to me that doesn't exactly sound fair. I brought up this point to him and his response was "you get what you get". Well, that got me to thinking. Trading and buying cards online, seems to be an extremely popular method these days. Now I think I know why.

People don't want to get what they can get, they want what's fair. Sure there are those on Ebay and the trading sights that try to rip you off or vastly overcharge because they like the player or they think everyone else does.

Value can get a little hazy. But using Ebay prices vs. Beckett Prices one should be able to come up with a pretty fair solution and decide for themselves what they think is fair.

Is it really a bad thing that Hobby shops are dying and the internet community seems to be thriving? Personally, right now, I feel it isn't. I want what's fair, not what I can get! If I bring in base cards, I would like equal value of base cards in return, otherwise what is the point of Beckett Value...the pricing guides that all Hobby shop owners seem to use when they are charging you for cards.

I could be just ranting right now.

I could be just off my rocker.

On Saturday I'm going to his Hobby shop, buying a Hobby Box of 08/09 UD Artifacts. I may even trade in some of my card lot to fill out my need lists to complete my sets. Heck I might even try to trade in enough to get another Hobby Box of something...maybe 2009 UD Baseball!

But the fact of the matter is, if I feel I'm being ripped off...Well I obviously will not be happy. I'll probably never go there again. I'll start doing all my shopping and trading online and if the Hobby Shop Owner doesn't like that...well then he should be fair. There's a larger market out there than going to a specialty store.

I remember when I was a youngin' and Hobby Shops were the only place a kid could go trade and buy cards...I also remember being ripped off then. Maybe it was because I was a kid, maybe it was because they knew I had no other option, maybe it was because he was a dillweed. The point is I'm already a little jaded towards Hobby Shops because of past experiences.

So I guess the question I pose is... Is the death of Hobby Shops a bad thing? If they overcharge and underpay... If the Internet provides an equality... If you can get everything you want and need without feeling taken advantage of...Is it a bad thing?

Or am I way off base and overreacting?

Like I said I guess I'll find out on Saturday...I hope I am because I'd like to do business with these blokes, they are nice people and they do have a business to run and I would like to support them. But I will not stand for being taken advantage of.

Is this the way all Hobby Shops are?

What do you guys do? I notice most seem to go to target or walmart. I hope someone responds to this blog before I go. I'd really like to get some help here!

For Anyone who loves ITG as much as I do...

Check Out The Hockey Cards Blog

They have an interview with Dr. Brian Price, the Owner of In The Game!



It's really good stuff, recommended reading!

07/08 ITG H&P 3 Pack Open

07/08 ITG Heroes and Prospects Arena Version Box

24 Packs per Box - 5 Cards per Pack.

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS:

The base card checklist is now 140 cards, with cards numbered 101-140 being game-used memorabilia cards featuring game-used memorabilia from the
CHL Top Prospects Game.

The checklist includes Patrick Kane, Angelo Esposito, Trevor Cann, Sam Gagner, Brandon Sutter and Zach Hamill, to name a few.

Collectors wanted to see a completely new base card design for Heroes and Prospects and In The Game responded to this request. The 2007-08 Heroes and Prospects will thrill collectors old and new. Full body action shots fit perfectly with the retro-style design. As in past Heroes and Prospects products, there will be Heroes, International Prospects, AHL Prospects, CHL Prospects and this year we introduce CHL Duals.

A newly designed Autograph card will feature a checklist of great players from the future, present and past.

40 Top Prospects Game-Used Memorabilia cards (1:72 packs).

9 randomly inserted 2007 Memorial Cup Champions insert set (1:14 packs).

Authentic autograph cards (1:48 packs).

He Shoots He Scores or Top Prospects memorabilia Redemption cards.

Now it should come as no surprise by now, but I am a huge fan of In The Game (ITG) products. I love the Heroes & Prospects sets. The idea of up and coming phenoms mixed with yesterdays and today’s heroes (in their minor league uni’s no less…to get around infringement issues). So when I walked into a new store today to just look around, and saw 07/08 H&P product, I tried really hard not to drool. I casually walked up to the owner and started chatting him up. This store is NOT a hobby store. It’s a tiny little store not much bigger than my bedroom and is primarily filled with collectibles, which range from Superheroes, to Hockey Player figures, to bunnies and china dishes. The amount of actual cards in this store was minimal at best but there were cards! I was surprised by the price per pack and decided to get 3, with thoughts of going back some time and getting the Arena Box… Here’s what I opened!

Pack 1:

#8 Roberto Luongo!

WOW first card…First pack I got the Captain!!!! Woooo Woooo!!!! So worth it already! Luongo is my favorite current player in the NHL, possibly favorite EVER! This may be because he is one of the best goalies in the league… it may be because he plays for my team…the Vancouver Canucks!!!! But this was just awesome to see!

#31 Cal O’Reilly

#99 Roberto Luongo and Brad Machand

2 Luongo cards in 1 pack! I must have been a very good boy!

#36 Alex Bourret

#26 Matt D’Agostini – Currently on the roster of the Canadiens de Montreal!

That was a really great pack. I love these cards! This is probably my favorite year for front design. The whole set, as far as I can tell, is horizontal! Beautiful, Beautiful cards!

Pack 2:

Wow I was really good or something, first pack, Luongo off the bat, this pack…

#94 Guy Lafleur & Angelo Esposito

Both amazing players. I can’t wait to see what Esposito does in the NHL!

#70 Leland Irving

#45 Claude Giroux

#65 Zach Boychuk

Sweet! First Esposito, now Boychuk! I’m very excited about this card…why you ask? Because Boychuk is from my town, Airdrie! I was really hoping to get at least one of his cards! Glad I didn’t have to hunt it down on ebay!

#83 Ryan O’Reilly

Man! 2 packs down and already getting pretty sweet cards! Can’t wait to see what’s in pack 3…I think I’ll definitely try building a set of this!

Pack 3:

#77 P.K. Subban

#38 Brett Sterling

#11 Dave Keon

This is a beautiful card! And it’s the first that I’ve seen that has a black & white picture. Keon played professionally from 1960 to 1982, 15 years for the Toronto Maple Leafs and was inducted into the hall of fame in 1986! His number, #14, however has yet to be retired by the Leafs…

#50 Yann Sauve

#91 Jordan Staal & Trevor Cann

Sweet card, I love the duals, a Hero and a Prospect from the same minor league team! This is a very sweet set, I definitely think I’m going to have to build it. So I guess I’m going after 07/08 & 08/09 H&P! And I’m definitely debating 05/06 & 06/07! But that’s for another day!

Overall, amazing product, perhaps my favorite year for ITG H&P! Very happy!