Here he is. Very nice! And what do you know, the image depicts the Ryder Cup.
Think the Dodgers will make the wild card? What a bollocks year.
30 September, 2012
Tiger Woods!
At least he didn't lose outright in the Ryder Cup, eh? I, however, won because Upper Deck mailed me my redeemed Tiger Woods autograph card (from my previous post) pretty quickly!
Think the Dodgers will make the wild card? What a bollocks year.
Think the Dodgers will make the wild card? What a bollocks year.
14 September, 2012
Tiger! Tiger! 2012 Goodwin Champions box break!
I was bored last week and stopped by Hall of Fame Baseball Cards in Arcadia to buy stuff. I purchased some supplies and a box of 2012 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions. The shop is located at 319 E. Foothill Blvd., Arcadia, CA 91006, and they are having a Davey Lopes signing tomorrow (Saturday, 9/15) starting at 10 AM. Let me know if you plan on going, though I have not decided if I will attend yet. Now, on to the hobby box, which is definitely one of my best box breaks this year...
'Zo, looking dapper. Selling or trading this one, I think.
Troy Aikman! Nice haircut, dude.
Abby Wambach mini-yellow printing plate, one of one! Sweet. I believe this is my very first miniature printing plate.
Holy shitballs. Zoom in for full effect. Tiger Woods autograph card! Or rather, a redemption for a Tiger Woods auto! I better get this card, or there is hell to pay. Tiger is a "Group A" signature, so he is seeded as 1:1977 packs. Metal.
Do you think Davey Lopes would be cool with writing "Party Hard" as an inscription for me? Kevin Kouzmanoff did...
10 August, 2012
2012 Leaf Best of Baseball box break
Man, I have so many overdue posts I need to write. Here's a quick one, to hopefully get me back into it. I opened a box of 2012 Leaf Best of Baseball that I purchased from Atlanta Sports Cards via their sponsored box break program. Here's the link to the video box break - goo.gl/B5lQL - but, you can just see the photo of what I pulled below:
Speaks for itself, hm? Click to enlarge.
What a break! Boo yah.
16 July, 2012
10 July, 2012
08 July, 2012
Hello Kitty Dodgers bobblehead
My girlfriend and I went to Japan Night at Dodger Stadium last week. The Dodgers were giving away a Hello Kitty bobblehead. Here are some photos of it:
It was good to be back at Dodger Stadium again, and it was a win to boot! I would even say that it was an exciting game.
Also, Dodger Stadium security is a bit lax. I always carry around a Benchmade utility knife with me, but this was the first time I forgot to take it off and leave it in the car (as I usually do when I go to a sporting event, music venue, or airport). But, nope, dude waved me right in. No way a skinny hipster-looking Asian dude would have a super sharp knife, right? It's not like I was trying to sneak it in or carry it for nefarious reasons, because I would have left it in the car if I remembered before I sat down. Obviously some people (the "wrong" element at ballgames) could do so though? Troubling.
Front of box.
Top of box.
The cat. Front.
Fat. Back.
Also, Dodger Stadium security is a bit lax. I always carry around a Benchmade utility knife with me, but this was the first time I forgot to take it off and leave it in the car (as I usually do when I go to a sporting event, music venue, or airport). But, nope, dude waved me right in. No way a skinny hipster-looking Asian dude would have a super sharp knife, right? It's not like I was trying to sneak it in or carry it for nefarious reasons, because I would have left it in the car if I remembered before I sat down. Obviously some people (the "wrong" element at ballgames) could do so though? Troubling.
06 July, 2012
Panini comes through in a big way
In my experience, Panini products can be inconsistent as far as quality of hits and value are concerned, but they are generally good in terms of card condition, collation, and entertainment. Most importantly, however, Panini has a great customer service infrastructure - especially compared to the other heavy hitters in Topps and Upper Deck.
Redemptions are super annoying. One could even venture to say that redemptions are decidedly immoral and dishonest in a business sense. Card companies should be obligated to fulfill their redemptions. If only they were legally, and not just morally, obligated to do so (and not even then) - right? Perhaps at this point many hobbyists deem them to be a necessary evil. None of this is news. When I have had to deal with redemptions, though, I never had any major issues with Panini. Compared to Topps and Upper Deck, Panini just does their job, as any card company should do. Panini took the time to build an efficient, organized online system for customers to submit redemptions, get replacements for damaged cards, make quality assurance requests, request authentication, and even to just ask random questions.
I have an apoplexy every time I deal with Topps' customer service. I'd rather get punched in the testicles repeatedly by Manny Pacquiao than deal with Upper Deck again. The amount of disrespect these two companies have shown me in the past is akin to them punching my sister in the face and then taking a massive dump in my favorite Dodgers hat. Also, after reading numerous interactions and customer experiences online, it seems like you have to brown-nose Topps or bribe Upper Deck to get any help with your redemptions. Yes, if you watch video box breaks on YouTube where someone opens old Upper Deck product and receives an expired redemption, you will sometimes notice someone who comments about how they mail the expired redemption card along with a Pizza Hut gift card so that the employees at UD will hook them up. Fucking Pizza Hut? Just do your jobs. We all know the cards (or equivalent) are already there, you criminals. I once pulled an expired redemption card for a Fred McGriff Sweet Spot autograph and Upper Deck sent me back a Michael Young single swatch jersey relic. Really? That was really the best you could possibly do?
Before this post gets too long... bottom line, Panini isn't perfect by any means, but at least they try. Any of these companies could take almost two years to get you your redeemed card (which was the case for me here, and if at all the same one you redeemed in the first place), but I have never felt like Panini secretly hates me for some reason and is punishing me for some imagined slight. Like how Michael Bay punished us all with Transformers 3. No, I am not overreacting to any of this. Also, I can't be the only one with such shoddy customer service experiences?
I originally redeemed two Tom Gola signature cards from 2009-10 Panini Hall of Fame. Imagine my surprise when I saw these two beauties come in the mail instead! Absolutely awesome. Panini came through in a big way for me, and I appreciate it.
Redemptions are super annoying. One could even venture to say that redemptions are decidedly immoral and dishonest in a business sense. Card companies should be obligated to fulfill their redemptions. If only they were legally, and not just morally, obligated to do so (and not even then) - right? Perhaps at this point many hobbyists deem them to be a necessary evil. None of this is news. When I have had to deal with redemptions, though, I never had any major issues with Panini. Compared to Topps and Upper Deck, Panini just does their job, as any card company should do. Panini took the time to build an efficient, organized online system for customers to submit redemptions, get replacements for damaged cards, make quality assurance requests, request authentication, and even to just ask random questions.
I have an apoplexy every time I deal with Topps' customer service. I'd rather get punched in the testicles repeatedly by Manny Pacquiao than deal with Upper Deck again. The amount of disrespect these two companies have shown me in the past is akin to them punching my sister in the face and then taking a massive dump in my favorite Dodgers hat. Also, after reading numerous interactions and customer experiences online, it seems like you have to brown-nose Topps or bribe Upper Deck to get any help with your redemptions. Yes, if you watch video box breaks on YouTube where someone opens old Upper Deck product and receives an expired redemption, you will sometimes notice someone who comments about how they mail the expired redemption card along with a Pizza Hut gift card so that the employees at UD will hook them up. Fucking Pizza Hut? Just do your jobs. We all know the cards (or equivalent) are already there, you criminals. I once pulled an expired redemption card for a Fred McGriff Sweet Spot autograph and Upper Deck sent me back a Michael Young single swatch jersey relic. Really? That was really the best you could possibly do?
Before this post gets too long... bottom line, Panini isn't perfect by any means, but at least they try. Any of these companies could take almost two years to get you your redeemed card (which was the case for me here, and if at all the same one you redeemed in the first place), but I have never felt like Panini secretly hates me for some reason and is punishing me for some imagined slight. Like how Michael Bay punished us all with Transformers 3. No, I am not overreacting to any of this. Also, I can't be the only one with such shoddy customer service experiences?
Left: Bill Walton, Private Signings on-card autograph. Right: Kevin McHale, Private Signings on-card auto. A pair of Celtics greats. I do not know what set these cards come from. Preferred? Hoops? Black Box?
I originally redeemed two Tom Gola signature cards from 2009-10 Panini Hall of Fame. Imagine my surprise when I saw these two beauties come in the mail instead! Absolutely awesome. Panini came through in a big way for me, and I appreciate it.
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