Another Topps Pristine 2 Pack Break

I got these from the same seller as the first break, but decided against recording this one. It was probably for the best, as the pulls aren't near as exciting this time around. The EPA must have given Topps hell for all the wrappers this product generated. If you're not already familiar, these are packaged as a pack inside of a pack inside of a larger pack. Yes folks, THREE wrappers for one pack of cards. No wonder the Earth is rapidly warming (or cooling, depending on who you talk to).

Last time we started with the 2003 pack, so this time around it's 2004 that will be first up to bat. After opening the larger outer wrapper, I found this card (and another pack):

Shingo Takatsu uncirculated refractor #'d /499

I think this is of the uncommon variety, but it's hard to find solid info on this set.

After opening the second, slightly smaller pack, I found this card (and yet another pack):

Manny Ramirez Going, Going, Gone bat relic

Ahh, the good old days, when Topps actually let you know your chunk of wood is in fact from a game-used bat. It was so long ago that Manny still had short hair.

Each pack also contains one numbered rookie card. For as old as this pack is, it certainly could have been worse. At least I got a guy who's still in the league.

Erick Aybar numbered rookie #'d /999

Just like last time around, hidden in the innards of that final pack was an autograph. It's not Lance Berkman again, but it could definitely have been worse.

Ervin Santana Personal Endorsements autograph

I didn't say anything about it when I pulled the Berkman, but these are some UGLY cards.

So yeah, that was the '04 pack. Not too shabby, especially not for $10. Let's move right along to the '03 flavor, and see what that pack had to offer. After ripping the first wrapper, this puppy was found tucked away inside, along with another pack (naturally).

Michel Hernandez uncommon refractor #'d /99

If only it were someone else.... The Ryan Howard uncommon refractor books for like $200. Michel Hernandez might book for $2.

After opening the pack within the pack, this is the game-used card that greeted me... along with another stinkin pack!

Pedro Martinez Pristine Borders jersey relic

Hello old friend, wearing a Red Sox jersey, which is how I choose to remember you. The swatch is pretty tiny, but I can't really complain about pulling this card. It beats an Eric Chavez relic any day of the week.

The pack inside the pack inside the pack wasn't super exciting, but it did have the following 2 base cards in it, which I thought were pretty nice.

There are legends in this set? Awesome!

Now all I need is the uncommon & gold refractors to build myself a little rainbow. Based on recent eBay sales & listings, this card is pretty valuable for just being of the regular base variety.

There you have it, 2 more packs of Pristine busted and scanned for all the world to see. I've actually got 2 more packs of each on the way (4 more packs total), and they will be busted on video, most likely over the weekend. The eBay seller from whom I purchased the first 4 packs offered me the rest of his inventory at a very reasonable price ($10/pack). It will be a bit of a group break, as Jay from The Mojo Hand and I are splitting the costs 50/50. We're going to try to do something fun with it, and hopefully end up with a nice little pack break video.

What do you guys think of Pristine? Do you wish it was still around? Any ideas on why Topps chose to kill off the brand?

Bipped Again! This Time It's Personal

You're nice enough to send a guy a Jordan Zimmerman autograph, and this is what he sends in return. The nerve of some people! As I briefly mentioned last week, this Bipping is brought to you courtesy of Matt from Heartbreaking Cards of Staggering Genius. I'm guessing that once the Jayhawks season is over, there probably isn't much to do in Lawrence, but that is surely no excuse to reach out and Bip someone.

Matt started things off by sending me a 1995 Upper Deck Armando Benitez card....

TIMES SIX!

Followed by FOUR 1986 Topps Sammy Stewarts.
All of this was innocent enough, and didn't cut near as deep as my first Bipping, at the hands of GCRL. But then I saw it...

This is "it"

The dreaded double "g" spelling of Greg, which happens to be my name. Matt knows this.
Matt knows that I have written in the past about my dislike for the nonsensical double "g" butchering of my first name. He knew.
He knew yet he sent the cards anyway. The balls on this friggin' guy!


I guess since this card was sent along as well, I can't be that mad. Another Brooks relic for the player collection. It's not actually a bat though, it's a piece of wood from a park bench that Brooks sat in one time. The back says "Congratulations, you have received a piece of wood".

2005 Donruss Champions Brooks Robinson relic

Thanks for the cards Matt.... I guess. I want you to keep it in the back of your mind that maybe, just maybe, I will seek vengeance. Probably not, cause I'm lazy, but I could.

Topps Pristine Video Break

Welcome to my first video break. Going forward I promise not to be such a goober, and to actually hold the cards in front of the camera, and not off to the side. You know, so you can actually SEE them and stuff.

Both of these sealed blister packs (one 2003 & one 2004) came from eBay, and were a ton of fun to bust. I understand why this product is no longer around, as it is very similar to Finest, but the cards are still very nice. One thing that makes no sense to me is the whole "uncirculated" thing. These things are inserted into packs. Doesn't that count as "circulation"? I understand that they come in nifty hard cases, sealed with Topps foil stickers for safety, but how does that make a card "uncirculated"?

The Video:



The Goods:

2003:

Sweet! #'d to 1599. Not sure what this card is worth, but I know it's one of the better pulls in the '03 release.

Chavez is one of those players who haunts me. This has to be at least the third Eric Chavez "hit" I've pulled since starting this blog.

#'d to 1999. Not sure why I scanned this card. Probably because it's numbered. That's about the only way a damn Yankee makes it onto this site.

2004:

Cards like this are what I was afraid of when purchasing these packs. You only get one shot at an "uncirculated" refractor, and most of them are of rookies & prospects. We all know how that game goes.

I like bat relics, and I like Mike Piazza. Good times were had by all.

#'d to 1999 or something like that. It might be numbered to something lower, but I am at work right now, and can't check the back to be sure. I know it's not the "common" rookie variation, so it might be numbered to something slightly lower. Nippert is currently with the Texas Rangers, and enjoyed his best statistical season as a pro in 2009.

Certainly wasn't expecting to pull this "Big Puma" autograph. If you watched the video, you can see the look of surprise in mine eyes. This scan is plain crummy and the card looks a lot better in person. They tried to do the whole "etched metal" thing, and it looks much better when the card is in hand.

For only being a 2 pack break, there were some decent cards to be had here. I've got another pack of each on the way that I paid even less for. Hopefully, they aren't a letdown after pulling the Howard and Berkman cards.

Trade With Cardboard Icons

This is not the first time I've traded with Ben, from Cardboard Icons, and I certainly hope it's not the last. Ben is a very generous trader, and always sends a ton of cards. This round arrived in a 400-count box that was almost packed full. Here are a few personal favorites:

1993 Pinnacle Cal Ripken Jr.

Classic Cal at his best. He has one of the most fun stances to emulate, but it can get a little rough on the knees. I don't know for sure, but I think the knee-bending was how he kept such great timing at the plate. Sort of like Strawberry's high leg lift. Skip all the way to the last 25 seconds or so of THIS video if you don't know which stance(s) to which I am referring.

1993 Pinnacle Hometown Heroes Cal Ripken Jr.

Another solid Ripken card from back in the day.

2008 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes Frank Robinson black parallel

Doesn't matter how many times I look at this card, it's still one ofmy favorites from '08. Don't think I had this parallel version yet.

2008 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes Frank Robinson

See, there it is again. What did I tell you? This card is fantastic.

2005 Bowman Heritage Brian Roberts "Pieces of Greatness" bat relic

This is one of the largest pieces of bat I've ever seen in a card that isn't considered a "jumbo" relic. It could just be an illusion, caused by the curved window edges. Regardless, I really dig the design of this card. It reminds me of the Jetsons for some reason, but I can't quite place it.

2009 Topps Series 2 David Hernandez silk #'d /50

Call me crazy, but I like silk cards. They're totally manufactured cheese, but at least this cheddar is based on baseball cards from days gone by.

Thanks a lot for the great cards Ben! Yours are on the way, so enjoy. On an unrelated note, the 2009 Gummies are heating up and a lot of the polls are REALLY close, including the Best New Card Blog. If you haven't done so already I encourage you to go forth, and make your voice heard! Click HERE to access the polls, and remember, a vote for beardy is a vote for freedom!