Coming Soon To A Computer Near You...

It's baaaaaaack!

And this time it's NOT personal.

Fasten your seat-belts kids! Once Motherscratcher and I quit being lazy fools and agree on some rules (hot damn, that rhymed!) we shall once again commence with the Turking Off. This time it'll be the 2006 flavor of Topps Turkey Red, which is what we wanted to use the first time around, before availability issues put the kibosh on that plan. Stay tuned so you don't miss anything epic, and there's no doubt this will be epic.

Remember this dear readers, the Commish is wise, and no one EVER listens to Billy Zane. EVER!

Are You Ready For Some Football?

No, not real football, I'm talking about Soccer. Last week I scored a lot of about 20 assorted and old tobacco cards of English Footballers, and will be sharing them with you over the course of 2 or 3 posts.

One of the things that surprised me was how cheap non-baseball tobacco cards are on eBay. All of the cards you will see in these posts were had for less than the cost of a single pack of SPx at my local card shop, including shipping.


If you frequent the Custom Card Blog, you may recognize the following design from a Woody Guthrie card I recently created. These might be the oldest cards in the whole bunch, and date from around 1900.

J.L. Jones, Captain of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, who won the English Cup in 1901

There's no first name listed anywhere on this card. We know his name is Livingstone, and that he played for Glasgow Celctic Football Club. My Great-Grandfather played professional soccer in Scotland, but not until about 15 years after after these cards were released. It would have been absolutely awesome to pull a card of him, if there even is one.

Here is an awesome team card of Tottenham Hotspur. It's hard to tell, since all these guys have truly bitchin mustaches, but I think our ol' buddy Capt. J.L. Jones can be found right smack dab in the middle of the second row. This card is already on it's way to PSA, and I am anxiously awaiting my gem mint 10 grade. Population: 1.

Next we have several trophies with confusing names. This is one of those things I've never really understood or liked about how the Europeans do things. Why can't they just have 1 champion, and 1 trophy? Instead, you have several, which can lead to some confusion as to who is really the best. I guess it's to be expected from a sport that allows games to end in a draw. Please excuse the American in me, but that's just not how we do things on this side of the pond. These cards were produced by Churchman's Cigarettes, and were released around 1927 (not sure of the exact year).

The Scottish F.A. Cup was first given out in 1874

The Amateur F.A. Cup was won for the first time in 1907 by the Corinthian Football Club.

Contrary to what the back of this card says, this is where things get confusing. The previous card, the Amateur F.A. Cup is the control of the Football Association, while this card, the F.A. Amateur Cup, is under the control of the A.F.A.

The First Division Championship Cup was the bees knees during this period of Association Football. This was the cup that was won by teams you have actually heard of. Teams like Burnley in 1921 and Liverpool in '22 & '23. I'm not sure if this cup is still around, but it should be; it's the nicest looking one of the bunch.

How would one go about winning one of these prestigious cups you ask? Well, I would assume playing in the championship game at Wembley Stadium would be one way to go about it. The 2 card below were released by W.D. & H.O. Wills Co., but I have absolutely no idea what year they came out.

1924 Cup Final won by West Bromwich Albion

1925 Cup Final won by Newcastle United. Check out King George VI shaking hands with the players. That's pretty damn cool.

Well, that wraps up part one. Be sure to check back for part 2, which will feature a bunch of guys you've never heard of who once upon a time played for teams you've definitely heard of. If you're lucky, there may even be another trophy card or two. I also scanned the backs of few cards, so you've got that to look forward to as well, ya know, if that's your thing and all.

The reasoning behind stretching these out over several posts is essentially pure and unadulterated laziness. I've been doing a horrible job of keeping up with anything lately, and blogging has been no exception. Not only have I hardly been posting, I've hardly been trading either. That's not to say that people haven't sent ME cards, but in order for it to truly be a trade, I actually have to mail cards back in return, which is something I just have not been doing. Another thing I haven't been doing is posting all the great cards that have been sent to me over the past few weeks. I am about a month behind in posting trades, and feeling more and more like Motherscratcher every single day. To everyone out there who is waiting to either receive cards from me, or to see the great cards they sent me featured in a most excellent trade post, I am truly sorry. It'll happen sooner than later (hopefully early next week).

Trade Bait for a Braves Fan

I'm specifically looking at YOU and YOU. Any takers?

A World Series of Bad Accents

The leaves are changing here in Baltimore, the weather is getting colder, and naturally, I am getting lazier. There are piles of cards scattered all around the house that need to be scanned & posted; some from trades, some from pack rips. So what am I going to do? I'm going to post about a World Series I find myself struggling to care about. It's not that the 2 best teams aren't playing each other, because they are. It's just that the one team I hate more than any team in the world (maybe even more than the Steelers) are playing a team that I feel nothing for.

I am curious about one thing... which horrible local accent will prevail?

Philadelphians have quite possibly the worst accent on the east coast, but that's only because the New York accent, which is equally as terrible has been made so commonplace through the popularity of mafia movies.

Wikipedia has entries on both dialects, which can be found here and here. There are also video examples posted below of each horrible accent. What I want you to do is tell me, which accent is worse?

PHILLY ACCENT *videos possibly contain foul language




NEW YORK ACCENT *videos possibly contain foul language (it's New York, whadda ya want)




These are 2 of the most studied dialects in America, and it's fitting that they should both meet in the World Series. I have posted a poll for you to vote in, and am pumped to find out who you vote for to win the "World Series of Bad Accents". The winner is the team who's fans have the worst of the two accents. If you need more evidence before casting your vote, I have some recommendations for you. For the Philly accent, check out anything spoken by Bam Margera and his family. For New York, rent some mafia films or check out a Woody Allen flick. If that's still not enough, you can call my parents house and speak to my mother, who grew up on Staten Island.

Don't forget to cast your vote!

Wish List Card #9

Yes, I know that's a 2009 Triple Threads card. The set might be terrible, and a total ripoff, but this card is frickin' sweet! It's a Frank Robinson jumbo patch booklet thingy, and I really like it. I think Triple Threads always delivers top notch relic cards of retired players. I don't think there are many of us who care for the gaudy rainbow sticker autos found in this set, and thankfully this card is auto free. Look at the size of that patch!

This Frank Robinson card sold on eBay yesterday for $255.00. It was listed with a BIN/Best Offer price of $500. See the completed auction here. It looks like this is yet another card that will forever remain on my wish list.

Triple Turds isn't so bad when they don't screw it up with sticker autos and a checklist full of bums. This card should serve as an example to that point.

My Favorite Early 90's Insert Set

1992 Leaf Studio Heritage Series

My scanner bed is filthy, and it really shows in the borders of these cards. 1992 was probably the year I collected most heavily as a kid. I was 11, and there were card shops everywhere. The Cal was one of the best cards you could own around here, and I remember giving up a lot for it in trade (probably 2 Phil Plantier rookies... HA!). Most of these were picked up at various card shops in 1992, and to the best of my knowledge the only one that was personally pack-pulled by yours truly was Mattingly. I'm a few cards shy of a full set, and know that Molitor, Dawson, and Van Slyke are missing. The Boggs is my favorite of the ones I own, but that's probably because of the beard, which really brings the whole old-timey look together. It could be even better, but only if he was rocking it A La Souvarov style.

Leaf kept these Studio Heritage inserts around for a long time, and I think it served as the perfect addition to the set, since it added that vintage feel while also maintaining the "studio" theme. Too bad they had to screw it up after the new millenium by featuring retired players, instead of current players in their throwback unis. How sweet would a Studio Heritage relic set, featuring swatches of throwback uniform be? Very, if you ask me.

Well, there you have it, my favorite insert from one of my favorite sets of the 90's. Actually, scratch that. 1992 & 1993 Studio ARE my favorite sets from the 90's.

Just Because

I haven't posted in a little while, but have some stuff in the works. There are naturally new cards to show off; I mean, so is the life of a collector, right? In the meantime, here's a sweet Griffey hologram I got in one of those Looney Toons packs that motherscreatcher sent me a while back.

Sufferin' Succotash!

Group Break Booty

As per usual, I Am Joe Collector held his monthly group breaks, and as per usual, I participated in each one of them. This time around, aside from the monthly team break, there was also a slotted break of both '08 Upper Deck Premier Baseball and Football.

The monthly break was 1 box of 2008 Prime Cuts, and 4 boxes of Goodwin Champions. While I am never lucky enough to end up with a nice Prime Cuts hit, I was lucky enough to come away from the team break with some pretty nice cards. I already had every Oriole from the set but one, and did not hit the Adam Jones card I needed from this break, but it has since been traded to me by The Hamiltonian. All in all I ended up with about 12 O's cards, 5 of which were minis. I didn't scan any of them, because I'd seen them all before, but I did scan one of the cards I received:
This is the "night variation" and is pretty darned cool. I bet I know SOMEONE who would love to get their hands on this card...


Next up are the 2 '08 Premier breaks. I had one slot in each, and managed to do okay with the baseball, and not so okay with the football. It's not that I didn't end up with a nice low numbered card out of the football break. Almost all Premier cards are low numbered, so it's not that at all. I ended up with a card #'d out of 15, it's just a pointless card #'d out of 15. Why oh why to they keep making these?
It's sort of hard to read, so I will let you know that it's supposedly of DeSean Jackson, even know there isn't a picture of him anywhere to be found on this card. It's also a manufactured patch... with the freaking draft logo on it! What a waste. Cards like this do not belong in a product as expensive as Premier. Since I don't care if I never see this card again, I am going to attempt to send it out TTM. How nice would an autograph look on all that gold space at the bottom? If anyone has an address, or any suggestions for me, please feel free to share, as this will be my first TTM attempt.


Lastly, we have the card I scored from the Premier Baseball break. I really like this card, and about the only negative thing I can think of to say about it is that it could be a little more colorful. All 4 swatches are plain-jane gray, but 2 out of those 4 prominently feature stitching, which makes the card a little more special.
It's #'d out of 10, and is the single card that makes me feel like I did okay on this month's break.


If you haven't checked out I Am Joe Collector's blog, or group breaks yet, you can do so HERE. He's a pretty trustworthy guy (for a lawyer anyway), and runs an excellent break. You should sign up, cause ya never know when a sweet card of your favorite player will be pulled.

2006 Sweet Spot Break

This box came cheaply, and was fun to bust. I can't really say much for the base set, as it's pretty bland; certainly not as nice as the 2008 base set. In my opinion, Sweet Spot is on the lower end of the mid-range product scale, and should have a base set that at least feels somewhat special. I know this product isn't really about the base cards, but the '08 version spoiled me with it's baseball stitch embossing, and gold foil. I have a whole stack of base cards, so if you're looking for a particular player, gimme a shout and I'll see what I've got.

The actual box has been thrown out, so I can't look at it to be positive, but I think it was 5 cards per pack, 12 packs per box.

Anyhoo, here's some cards:

It was tough to pick a favorite base cared, so I decided to just pick Ichiro. They're all action shots, and they're all basically the same. He was the only guy with just one name, so I figured "why not".

See what I mean?

This was hit #1. If only all relic swatches were thit large....

definitely for trade

I was pretty psyched about this one. When I opened the pack, this card was on the bottom, and I happened to see that it was a Phillie, before flipping the cards over to thumb through the pack. All the while I was hoping for Howard, but I'm not disappointed by who I ended up with.

All in all, a nice break. The Chutley auto is a good pull for me. It might not be low numbered, and his signature may be illegible, but at least it's of a star player. I'm normally not that lucky.

A Vintage Beauty

As you very well may know by now, 1959 Topps is perhaps my favorite set ever, and Frank Robinson is my favorite Oriole ever. It's only natural that I would chase this card, and finally, after watching it sell time after time for more than I was willing to pay, one managed to fall through the eBay cracks, and into my collection for less than $10.

1959 Topps #435 Frank Robinson

I should have scanned the back was well, but forgot about it. The little cartoon on the back says that Frank attends college during the off-season. A quick web reveals that he attended Xavier university, and graduated in 1956. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Reds that same year, and it appears as though he did not play baseball while attending Xavier. Perhaps he was taking graduate classes in '59?

This card is pretty damn close to perfection in my eyes. Excellent design, and a solid photograph, even if it was staged. Looking at the background makes me curious as to where this was taken. Spring training? I'm pretty sure that's a home uniform Frank is sporting, so we do know that it was a home game. It's also really cool to see sp many fans in the background. I can't think of too many other cards from this era that so prominently feature fans in the stands. The other interesting about this card is that Robinson is listed as a first basemen/outfielder. I had no idea he had ever spent any time at first base. Now I do, and knowing is half the battle.

A Bug From Across the Border

Last week I posted an image of my Upper Deck redemptions page, which clearly showed that I had manage to acquire a Goodwin Champions Entomology card. What I did not reveal is how the redemption came into my possession. Well... if you read your card blogs (and I know you do), the title should be a dead giveaway.

This card has been redeemed, and I am SUPER FREAKING PUMPED to find out what weird insect will be sent my way. We've all seen the butterfly preview card, and regardless of whether or not you think the concept is stupid, I think we can all agree they are absolutely beautifully designed. Hopefully Upper Deck doesn't find a way to screw them up, because if they end up looking anything like the preview, it will be like owning a piece of art.

This was not my first attempt to acquire one of these cards. My first attempt to trade for one of these cards did not turn out well, and left me not only questioning why I bother collecting, but with a foul taste in my mouth as well. I was essentially screwed over by a fellow blogger (you know who you are) who shall remain nameless, one who I had traded with in the past no less. An agreement was reached on a trade (if you want to deny it, I still have the email chain), but before any cards could actually be exchanged, my redemption was auctioned off to the highest bidder.

After having gone through all of that, you can imagine how thrilled I was when The Hamiltonian and I were able to work out a trade for her Entomology redemption. Unfortunately for her, and fortunately for me, these cards cannot be shipped to Canada (something about transporting a dead carcass across the border), so there was little choice left but to trade it away. I was lucky enough to be the first one to contact her about a trade, and in exchange for this card I sent her a thick stack of Josh Hamilton autographs and refractors which should hopefully be arriving at her doorstep any day now.

As if sending me a card from my wish list wasn't enough already, The Hamiltonian also sent over a 2009 Goodwin Champions Adam Jones card, which was much needed for both my player collection and Goodwin set. Oh, yeah, it is also a short print, which makes it an extra nice thing to do.


Hamiltonian, thank you so very much for trading me a case hit redemption, and I hope you enjoy the stack of Hamiltons that should be arriving shortly. I can't tell you exactly why I want one of these cards so much, but I do, and now a reservation has been made. Not everyone would trade one of these away, and it means a lot to me that The Hamiltonian was willing to do so. It's only fitting that immediately following one of my worst trading experiences came one of my best.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you to check out The Hamiltonian, and take a gander at her most excellent Josh Hamilton collection.

Anyone Else Feeling It?

EXTREME NEGATIVITY WARNING!!

(at least it's extreme)
**disclaimer: this post was written while working the overnight shift, with a terrible head cold. any opinions or statements contained in this post are those of a snot clogged brain, and don't necessarily represent the views normally expressed by the great bearded one**

image courtesy of nataliedee.com

Are you feeling it? No, not the flow. I know, I know... it's circular, but that's not the feeling of which I speak. No gentle readers, I am referring to the boredom and lack of motivation brought about by the number of LAME baseball releases in the past month or so.

They haven't all been bad, but when Goodwin is the cream of the autumn crop, the result is a lot more money in my wallet, and a lot less posting about great new sets. Specifically, I am talking about Ticket to Stardom and Ballpark Collection, but these aren't the only culprits. Chrome is great, Chrome is awesome, but when you've been looking at the same designs since March, Chrome also gets old in a hurry, no matter how shiny it is.

I've been sitting here for the past hour, after typing those first 2 paragraphs, trying to figure out how to not make this post about taking the card companies to task for some of the sets they release. I don't want to be that guy. There are already quite a few of those guys , and while good points are often made, they just end up sounding pessimistic and angry.

This isn't about the card companies producing crap. It COULD be, but we, as collectors continue to buy this stuff, and the companies wouldn't bother making it if we weren't buying it, right? What this is about is my collective collecting interests starting to shift as my opinions change. I think I've got a pretty good idea of why these feelings are starting to surface, but it's complicated. I think the #1 reason is that it seems there are at least 50 sets released per year, and about half of them feature the same photos, maybe with a slight change. Along with these 50 releases comes numerous parallels jam packed into each one, most of which are the same damn card, with a different color frame or background. Being a player/team collector, this annoys the piss out of me. Is it really necessary to have that many sets and that many parallels? It absolutely kills me that I have to have a card simply because there's an Oriole on it, no matter how ugly/boring that card may be.

Another reason I take issue with the multitude of sets released each year is the half-assed effort that goes into some of them. I think both Ticket to Boredom and Ballpark are prime examples. Ticket to Stardom essentially rips off a base set design used by Fleer Authentix, and one of it's primary draws is supposed to be ticket stub relics. The relics COULD have been cool, if the team of the player featured actually matched the ticket inserted into the card. I have seen numerous instances where this simply is not the case, and that is laziness to the 1000th power, especially for a product carrying a per box price tag of $85. This brings us to Upper Deck's Ballpark Collection, which while an improvement over last year's set, is still a pretty poor effort. The focus is clearly on game used "memorabilia", which is something I don't necessarily have a problem with. What I do have a problem with is throwing jersey swatches of 6 or 8 random players onto a card, add a fairly high serial number, and then charging $160/box for it. There are ZERO patch cards, and every autograph I've seen so far is on a sticker. $160/box?!?!? Are you freaking kidding me?

The only real argument here is which product is worse?

Releases like these make me contemplate becoming strictly a vintage collector. Somehow, it's much easier to appreciate a card (especially a base card) when there were only 1 or 2 produced of that particular player for that particular year. Besides, how cool would it be to build every Orioles team set from '54-'83? Can you even name a single iconic card that does not feature an autograph or patch or swatch of jockstrap produced after 1993? I can't. Jeter's rookie card is the last one that comes to my mind.

What do you guys think? Am I just crying over spilled milk, and being a whiny bitch, or are there too many crappy sets released these days? I'm not the first or the last card blogger to breach this topic, and I sure as hell won't be the last. Would you be happier with 5-10 well designed, well produced sets a year, or do you like being able to choose from a wider variety of products?

I want to end this with something positive. Are you ready for Turk-Off 2? That's right, Motherscratcher and I are going at it again, and this time with a proper product, the 2006 flavor of Topps Turkey Red.

Stay tuned!

I debated even posting this, because it really is nothing more than an angry rant, but this is my blog, and is one of the only places where I can really force feed my opinions to people. If you think I'm being an asshole, or have missed the proverbial boat, please feel free to let me know.

Orioles Magic via eBay

I've purchased a few cards in the past week or two. I really need to stop, since my hard earned money should be going into savings, to pay for our wedding/potential home down payment, but I just can't seem to. It's not like I'm dropping $100/per card or anything, but eventually, all the little stuff that adds up.

That's not to say I don't absolutely love every card I acquired last week, because I surely do. Just look at them (not yet!), how could you NOT love these cards?!?

We'll start off with 2 vintage Topps cards. These were sold together, and even though I'm not entirely sure why, it doesn't get much better than 2 cards of Hall of Famers for less than $8 delivered.

1969 Topps Brooks Robinson

1969 Topps Al Kaline

Pretty sweet, huh? I might be biased, but it seems like every Topps design from the 50's & 60's is awesome. This design isn't drastically different from the 1968 design, with the colored circle prominently featured yet again. I happen to like this better than the '68 design, with it's dingy burlap background. I wonder if people accused Topps of "mailing it in" in the summer of '69?

When I opened the bubble mailer, after inspecting the front of each card, I flipped them both over to have a look at their backsides. This is what I found:

Hmmm... they don't match! A quick google search proved to be fruitless, but I've got a feeling that this is standard operating procedure for 1969 Topps, and I KNOW someone out there knows for sure, and will leave a comment telling me not to fret over it. I already asked Night Owl, who seems to know a lot about vintage cards, but he was just as clueless.


Next up is an oddball steal of a deal. Can you believe I was able to add a second Brooks Robinson certified autograph card to my collection for $2.22? I've never seen one of these before, and they were apparently only available through a mail in redemption program. Enough of my vagueness, here it is:

1996 Big League Chew Brooks Robinson autograph

How cool is this card? Can you believe this is from 1996? I would have guessed it was released at least 10 years earlier. It's not the best of designs, and the lack of logos definitely makes it look cheap-ish, but that scribble of blue sharpie makes these facts insignificant. As a 12-year old first baseman, a pouch of grape flavored Big League Chew could almost always be found in the back left pocket of my uniform pants. This fact seems insignificant on the surface, but really does add a nice bit of nostalgia, and deepens my connection to this card.

I mentioned earlier that this was indeed a certified autograph. It is, but just barely. I could reproduce this COA in about 20 mins with Photoshop.



That concludes the vintage portion of this post, and it's time to move on to some present day Orioles (as painful as that may be). The next card you will be seeing is one of the few from Goodwin Champions that I had to have. Hard-signed Nick Markakis autographs are fairly few & far between. Ironically enough, 2 of the most recent ones were released by Upper Deck (Goudey & Goodwin), who likes to use sticker autos even in "high-end" products (Exquisite, Black, Premier, etc.). When I saw Markakis was included on the Goodwin auto checklist, I knew this would be the card I'd be chasing after. Finally, after a month or so of watching them sell for more than I was willing to pay, I managed to score one for a decent price.

2009 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Nick Markakis autograph

Reading over that last paragraph, it hardly seems fair that I singled out Upper Deck for using sticker autographs. Topps is equally as guilty. If any company reps happen upon this humble little blog, please take note. Sticker autographs suck, and they should not be used, under any circumstances, on a product that carries a price tag of $60 or higher per box. It's ridiculous that we've tolerated it for this long. Please cease and desist immediately.

Well that was fun. There's one more card left to be featured, and it's just as cool as the rest. I wasn't really saving it for last, as that was determined by Blogger's upload tool. As my Markakis collection grows, the need to have it showcased, or at least listed out somewhere is becoming imperative. I think next week is the week I officially go Zistle on the Markakii.

Here it is, the last card in this post.

2007 Topps Allen & Ginter's Nick Markakis no number mini

These seem a lot more special with the hand numbering they added to this year's release. That's ok though, you and I both know this card is only limited to 50 copies.

MNF Special - '09 Topps Chrome 2 Pack Break

For the second week in a row, I am stuck working the graveyard shift during Monday Night Football. While unfortunate, it doesn't mean that we can't still have a little card fun, right? Right!

While picking up cold medicine today (yeah, not only do I have to stay up all night, but I'm also sick), I also picked up 2 '09 Topps Chrome Football "fat" packs, with a live MNF pack break in mind. Why they call these things fat packs, I will never understand. 7 cards does not a fat pack make!

Pack 1 will be posted now, and pack 2 should be up around halftime. Unfortunately, because I am at work, I am also scannerless, so you'll just have to imagine what that Sanchez red refractor I pull actually looks like.

PACK 1:
#TC39 Chris Johnson
#TC30 Greg Jennings
#TC83 Larry Fitzgerald xfractor
#C71 Ted Ginn Jr. National Chicle insert
#TC73 Tony Gonzalez
#TC86 Patrick Willis
#TC96 Peyton Manning
Checklist 2 of 2

PACK 2:
#TC106 Brian Urlacher
#TC64 Willie Parker (boo Steelers!)
#TC160 Jeremy Maclin refractor
#C5 Tony Gonzalez National Chicle insert
#TC27 Wes Welker
#TC37 Clinton Portis
#TC48 Kevin Boss

2 packs, ZERO Ravens.

Pretty good game thus far. I'm hoping the Jets can pull this one out, but it's anyone's game at this point. Even though Rex Ryan left the Ravens to be the Jets head coach, I don't harbor any resentment, and wish him all the best. I think Braylon Edwards has caught more passes tonight than he did all of last season.

As usual, all cards for trade if you see something you're interested in.

My First Tobacco Card

I found this card the other day while going through a cigar box of old stuff. It is an American Spirit tobacco card commemorating the invention of the dishwasher, and is from the Centuries of the Great American Spirit subset. At the time I acquired this card, I was not collecting, and don't even think it ever registered to me that it was a card. It was pretty cool to stumble across now, but as you can see, it isn't in very good shape. There isn't a date printed on the back, but I'm pretty sure this card was released in the year 2000, since I do remember peeling from the back of the pack. Inadvertently or not, this is the first tobacco card I ever owned, and I didn't even realize it until last week. Unfortunately, the internet is lacking in information on these cards. It would be interesting to see the whole checklist, and maybe what other sets the American Spirit company has released. I assume there are others since the back of this card says "Set 2, Number 33 of 36".

Wish List Card #8

It's been a little while since I've posted a "Wish List Cards" entry. If some of you are sick of hearing about my borderline Buffalo Bill Cody obsession, please feel free to stop reading now, as this Wish List Card once again features the Wild West's founding father.

This card is from the forthcoming 2009 Topps Mayo Football release, which features yet another retro-themed design. Last year's Mayo design was lifted from the original Mayo Cut Plug Tobacco cards, which were originally released in 1895. The origins of this year's design are unknown, and I would assume that it is a Topps' own, with a heavy retro theme. The design however, is not what makes this card awesome. No my friends, what makes this card awesome is the obvious parallel between "Buffalo Bill" and the Indian Head Nickel, which prominently features the image of a buffalo on it's "tails" side (which is showing on the card). Trading cards featuring coins are nothing new, especially not to Topps, who released an insert set, "Currency Connection", which was included in the 2003 Topps Gallery set. Last year's Mayo set also featured cards containing embedded coins, like the Cornelius Vanderbilt card below.


In the past I have always found these cards to be sort of gimmicky, but have to admit that seeing one featuring Buffalo Bill, which was released as a promo image for the upcoming Mayo set, forced my hand, and I'll be the first to admit that this card is pretty sweet looking.

If you're wondering where my interest in Buffalo Bill is rooted, please read THIS post, from a few months back. For those of you wondering why the hell Buffalo Bill Cody manages to find his way into so many sports card releases, I can't help you with that one. It's a mystery to me, and one that I am happy with.

Seriously?

Only 2 comments on my previous post?

You have all disappointed me.

Do YOU Want to Host This Show?

Mike Smeth, owner of The Cardboard Connection and I have been discussing the possibility of creating a monthly, hobby news-esque show called "The Cardboard Report". Each month, the show will feature viewer-generated videos highlighting the best of what hobby has to offer. Did you go to a card show or flea market in search of cardboard gold? Bring your camera along, and give us some commentary. Thinking about doing a product review or box break? Do it on video, and send it in. Do you enjoy getting your point across and sparking intelligent and thought provoking conversation? Get it on video, and reach a wider audience.

Still image from animated intro sequence that is currently in production.

We are currently searching for a host, as well as monthly contributors. The host position would be fairly intensive, and would require you to be witty, and have some writing skills, as well as a decent video camera. The show is meant to be funny, and the host would deliver a quick humorous monologue, and then segue between the viewer generated videos. You would be required to write and record your own material, but it is also a tremendous opportunity for someone with possible Hollywood aspirations. It is essential that the host be a collector themselves, to preserve authenticity. Currently, there is no monetary compensation available. The host and any/all contributors would be compensated in cards.

Aside from needing a host, we are always looking for video content for the show, and for that, we rely on you. It doesn't matter whether you've got a professional video camera, or a crappy web cam, we want your videos! This show won't be possible unless you are a part of it, so if you've got a video camera, and a voice, hit the record button. The possibilities are endless here, and the hobby world is your oyster. There is only 1 limitation here, and that is your video must be hobby related, and that's all. Do you have a great idea for a monthly feature? Send me an email, and get involved. We want this to be the best hobby show on the web, and that won't be possible without the support of the collecting community.

How is all of this going to work? It's actually pretty simple. All content will be sent to me, and I will be editing together each month's episode. Once we figure out how much and what we've got to work with each month, the host will then generate his material, and record each episodes intro monologue and segue sequences. At the end of the month, each new episode goes up and is featured on The Cardboard Connection website.

If you're interested in contributing, or want to be the host of what very well could end up among the finest hobby programs ever created, please leave a comment, or drop me an email. Even if you're not interested in participating, and have some ideas about what would be cool, and what types of things you'd like to see featured, please comment. I cannot stress enough that this show won't be successful without everyone's input.

Wicked Cards From wickedortega

Since wickedortega, of My Past Time.... I Love It decided to post the cards I sent him, I figured why not return the favor? This is my second trade with Alredo, both of which have been solid. As per his usual, he blessed me with some outstanding Orioles cards.

1992 Kellogg's Corn Flakes Jim Palmer All Star

While all Kellogg's cards are cool, I've got to say that the '92 version just doesn't stack up against all the cool Kellogg's cards from the 70's & early 80's. It's ironic that this card was issued in '92, because I believe that's also the year Palmer tried to make a comeback, and attended spring training with the O's.

2006 Upper Deck Nick Markakis "Star Attractions"

Might have already had this card, but then again, I might not have. It's not like I have my Markakis collection organized or anything. Yes, I suck.

2008 Topps Ray Rice "Red Hot Rookie"

You can just tell this guy is about to have a breakout season. He's got that look about him, like he could score from anywhere on the field via the big play. I for one hope that's true, since I reached a bit and drafted him a bit early in a fantasy draft this season.

2009 Upper Deck X Nick Markakis die cut

Score another one for the player collection. I am not a fan of this set, and have not, nor will I purchase any of it. That fact makes receiving this card all the sweeter.

2007 Sweet Spot Classic Eddie Murray "Classic Memorabilia"

Here is Eddie rocking the ol' cap under batting helmet look. Somehow, he pulls it off, and still manages to maintain that all-business expression. Even though it's no big deal, I always like my relic to match the uniform pictured. Fail.

2009 Topps Ticket to Stardom George Sherrill deckle edge

My first Ticket to Retardom card, and it's of a guy who isn't even an Oriole anymore. We miss you Georgie, and I want you to know that the rest of the season wasn't the same without you, or your flat brim. Good luck in the playoffs!

2001 Topps Archives Reserve 1966 Jim Palmer refractor

Ooooh... shiny. This is a refractor version of Palmer's classic rookie card, and it looks great.

2005 Upper Deck Classics Brooks Robinson "Postseason Performer"

I'd never seen one of these before, but am glad I have now.

1978 Topps Eddie Murray rookie

Finally.... It's seriously about time I picked up an Eddie rookie. It's probably the most affordable of all the Orioles Hall of Fame rookie cards, but that doesn't diminish it's value in my eyes. As you can see, even as a rookie, Eddie was all business.

1997 Pacific Prisms Cal Ripken Jr.

Mario was sort of ripping on Pacific yesterday. If everything they designed looked this nice, perhaps they would still be around. It's hard to tell from the scan, but this card is translucent, with the white area surrounding Ripken's head being completely transparent.

2001 Post/Topps Frank Robinson "500 Home Run Club"

I had never seen one of these cards before either. Can it be considered an "oddball" even though it's made by Topps? The Frank Robinson collection continues to grow...

1996 Pinnacle/Denny's Cal Ripken Jr.

Well worth eating a Grand Slam breakfast to get your hands on this card.

1993 Upper Deck Eddie Murray "Then & Now"

Wow, this scan came out looking pretty awesome! I was still sort of collecting in 1993, but was never lucky enough to pull one of these cards, and if it weren't for wickedortega, I might never have owned one. I'm sure these cards were the bees knees in '93.

1993 Upper Deck Cal Ripken Jr. "Then & Now"

A tale of 2 scans. This one didn't quite turn out as well, but is no less awesome. I know a certain collector/blogger who would probably love to get his hands on this card...

Alfredo, thank you as always for the tremendous trade (I am a fan of alliteration)! If you haven't already checked out My Past Time.... I Love It, it's something I highly recommend doing. Few collectors are as passionate and enthusiastic as Mr. wickedortega, and it definitely shines through in his writing.