All Hail the King! (a Box Break)

Nice try, Topps.  I will never forgive you for the trespasses you have committed against me in the past.  This box of 2013 Topps Chrome Baseball was quite nice, nevertheless.  I don't buy as many baseball hobby boxes as I used to - namely because I feel Topps is uncreative and doesn't provide enough value, while Panini and Upper Deck aren't as desirable because they lack MLB licenses.  Consequently, I've gravitated toward buyback, oddball, or prospect boxes like what Leaf or Pastime has been putting out.

This type of purchasing behavior doesn't help people like my friend "J," though, who owns a brick and mortar sports card shop in Northern California.  It's just easier and cheaper for him to stock and sell Topps (and Panini and Upper Deck to a lesser extent) products to the masses than stuff from lesser known brands.  So, once in a while I'll visit his store and buy some Topps (usually Bowman) cards from him.  Solidarity!  Bros!

Here's some highlights from a semi-recent 2013 Chrome Baseball box I got from my friend:

Todd Frazier desert camo refractor numbered to 15 and a Joey Votto black refractor numbered to 100.  The camoflage border is different.  I like it.

 Rookies!

This Darin Ruf rookie autograph was actually the last hit I pulled.  At that point the card was just a third "bonus" hit to me.  You'll see why.  (Yes, indeed, three hits.)  The Ruf auto is in my trade bait.

Paco!  This was the first hit I pulled out of the box.  Man, what a year the Dodgers had.  Also, what great rookies we had this season.  I wanted a Paco Rodriguez rookie autograph card, and I pulled this redemption.  I still don't technically have it in hand, but I eagerly await the arrival of the actual card from Topps in like 12 years.  It's a "variation" too, so I imagine it's a refractor of some sort.  I already own a Yasiel Puig prospect auto.  It'd be awesome to have Hyun-Jin Ryu's rookie auto too.

"HUURRRNGH!" I believe was the reaction when I pulled this beaut.  "King" Felix Hernandez bigass four color patch auto, #'d 03/10.  What a monster patch!  This makes for my second Felix autograph card.  I didn't even know these existed in 2013 Chrome.  Imagine my surprise when I opened the surprisingly thick pack and found this dude in there.  Awesome!  I think the patch is from the Seattle Mariners away jersey?  What portion exactly?

Speaking of the Mariners... it'll be super bananas if they manage to pull off signing Robinson Cano!  Payday.

Patches, Patches for Me

I hope everyone is having a nice new year!  It feels about the same 'ol for me, unfortunately.  Anyway, I went up north to visit my sister during Christmas.  I had some free time during the holiday festivities to visit my old stomping grounds in the Peninsula, specifically my favorite card shop - What's On Second in San Mateo, CA - owned by my good friend Jordan.  I picked up some football cards while I was there.  Here is my favorite one:

From 2012 Panini Prestige Football: Team Foundations, Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy dual prime patch card, #d 15/49.

Back.  Though I do not like the Philadelphia Eagles as a team themselves, I do enjoy watching some of their individual players perform.  Not Michael Vick though.  Vick is a piece of shit.

I know the legitimacy of card relics has been called into question lately, but I still do enjoy the aesthetics of patch cards - more so than plain old jersey swatch cards.  NFL Wildcard playoffs are starting soon!

2011/12 Panini Limited Basketball box break

I purchased this box from my local card shop.  Panini Limited is only the fourth basketball release from Panini for this past season.  Slim pickin's!  Dumb lockout and dumb Miami Heat.  Here's the video box break:

Sorry, image is a bit blurry. I was filming it too closely.

Boo yah.

My first booklet

For a period of time this year, between the end of January and middle of May, I had nothing to do.  Literally, nothing to do.  Or, at the very least, nothing of much import or urgency.  It was probably the first time in six years that I had some actual, serious downtime.  It was weird, and I'm not entirely sure whether I liked it or not.

So what did I do with that all that free time?  Not much, really.  I drank copious amounts of beer, played a large amount of video games, and started up this blog again.  Hell, I didn't even post that much.  Lazy bastard.  Well, now I'm back home in glorious Southern California and a package arrived the other day that reminded me of my favorite card shop, in a region of the state I called home for several years (and a place I will actively try to never move back to - sorry, Nor Cal, I just like it here):

Bilal Powell yellow printing plates from 2011 Panini Playbook, autograph-relic booklet, #'d 1 of 1.

I never thought I'd actually pull one of these things.  I guess I still haven't - technically speaking - because I pulled a redemption for this card instead at my old local card shop.  I like it though!

Here are some views of the booklet closed:

I couldn't tell you where "home" is.  Maybe some historical figures and philosophers, perhaps wiser than you or me, can do that.  At least the cards will always somehow find their way to us nerds.