Wednesday, November 26, 2008

National Treasures



Well the break was so-so. Don't get me wrong there are some beautiful cards (and at least that is nice), but I would say it ends our streak and a new one must begin. Some people hit the jackpot.....others well you can see.

2006 National Treasures


2007 National Treasures


Rice/Largent/Lofton Distribution Video






Monday, November 24, 2008

Box Break: 2008 Bowman Chrome Football



I got in to Minneapolis on friday night, and immediately went into crash mode. I was so tired that I didnt even know what to do with myself. However, I was also hungrier than I have ever been, so I managed to squeeze a Perkins visit into the mix. Saturday and Sunday were spent doing massive amounts of wedding planning, and I even got to watch the game on a 60 inch plasma that my dad had gotten. AMAZING.

Today I went shopping with my Mom for beer and wine for the reception and we made a stop at Three Star Sports Cards on Hamline Ave in Roseville, MN. The store wasnt much in terms of beauty, but the selection was great and the prices were good too. I talked with the owner, who recognized me from YouTube and the site, and we talked for awhile about the hobby. He was a nice guy, and I told him I would give him a plug here for his store.

Anyways, I broke a box of Chrome and I had a good time with not good results, as usual. If I had known how poorly this shit sold, I maybe would have gone with Topps Chrome at the same price. Either way, here is what I pulled:



Harry Douglas AU Redemption - Ehh, could have been much better, could have been much worse. Expected delivery date? 3/2009. Thanks Topps, what crap.



Ray Rice Silver Refractor 84/199 - This was the box topper, not encased, and I was pretty lucky I didnt get Owen Schmitt or something crappy like that. Rice is a good player, and I can live with this.



Matt Ryan Regular Base RC - So far, the rookie to pull. Check that one off the list, too bad it wasnt a refractor.



Jonathan Stewart Refractor - This was a nice card to pull, and I am happy to get a good refractor. I pulled some nice vet parallels, but this was the only nice RC parallel.



Darren McFadden Base RC - A nice card at the beginning of the year has turned to shit with the Raiders season. He put up a TD or two yesterday, so that helps, but not enough.

Overall I give this box a B- thanks to the RC pulls, but the auto redemption pull really dragged this down with Topps' record on those. Also, be sure to check out Three Star Sports Cards and shoot the shit with the guy who runs it. Pretty good shop for what most of the Minnesota scene is usually like.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

National Treasures Team Assignments



The break will be Wednesday night. I won't be able to videotape it, etc. until 8:30 p.m. so I suspect that it will be posted sometime around 10:30 p.m. central time. If something with shipping occurs I will let you know if there is a delay. Best of luck everyone and trade at will. (I will be sending out an email with everyone's email addresses so that trades can take place)




Holy Hitter- Eagles, Bears
Cardboard Addiction- Raiders, Colts
Psad21- Vikings, Saints
Darkship- Buccaneers, Cowboys, Packers, Redskins
Arfmax- Steelers, Giants
Voluntarheel- Cardinals, Rams, Patriots, Lions
Hupaskin- Ravens, Titans, Bengals, Broncos, Bills, Chargers
Gellman- Texans, Panthers
Whitesoxcat- Browns, 49ers
Penguin101- Jets, Seahawks
Wannatrade- Falcons, Chiefs
Sonic- Dolphins, Jaguars

06 & 07 National Treasures (Filled)



Break is now full. I will post up the team assignments video tonight. I will record it at 7 p.m. central time and then it should be posted here around 7:30 p.m.

The break is for (1) box of 2006 National Treasures Football and (1) box of 2007 National Treasures Football. Details below. (Each box will have 6 "guarantee cards--material or auto cards" with at least 3 being autos in each box)-----We have a streak of 2 great breaks going...lets keep the streak going!

1. Slots will be for 2 random teams assigned via random.org (videotaped, etc.)
2. The cost of a slot is $36
3. Payments sent via paypal to: justin.halbersma@gmail.com (Please make sure to include your "handle" and address. Thanks)
4. You will be given a slot only after payment is received.
5. Multi-Team or Non-Football (Cut Autos) will be randomed between the team owners (in the case of multi-team) or all participants without a "hit" (in the case of non-football cuts)
6. All cards will be sent out including the base.
7. Break will be videotaped and posted here with scans and on youtube.
8. Boxes will be ordered once all the slots have been filled.
__________________________________________________

1. Holy Hitter
2. Cardboard Addiction
3. psad21
4. darkship
5. arfmax
6. voluntarheel
7. hupaskin
8. hupaskin
9. Gellman
10. whitesoxcat
11. darkship
12. voluntarheel
13. hupaskin
14. penguin101
15. wannatrade
16. sonic

Friday, November 21, 2008

The Inaugural Blog Bat Around

Gents, this type of gathering of the minds has never really been attempted in our line of Blogging, and thanks to everyone, I definitely consider it a success. Blogs have always been the defacto source of opinion and commentary on the net, and just recently have they caught on with sports cards. Im happy they have.

When I first saw this idea on some of the other blogs I frequent, I was intrigued to get it going for the sports card community, mainly because its very tough to find eloquent and insightful commentary on a single topic without tons of "ur a homo" and "stop being an idiot" posts that you would get with the spurts of topics on a message board.

Also, with an open forum of commentary, we tend to get a lot of different perspectives from people who we may not encounter very often. Mario, Dayf and I may get tons of hits every day (Mario in particular), but for everyone of us, there are 10 who dont. Hopefully they will finally have a "mainstream" outlet here and on the future hosts of this tribal council.

Without further adieu, I will get on to the posts themselves. For those of you who have submitted, thank you, for those of you still working, please email me to get your link added as soon as possible. Remember, this is not a contest, and there is no winner, just a way to hear more voices in the fray. Please do your best to visit every link, I guarantee you it will be worth your while. I have not organized the links at any order, so please do not send me hate mail that yours is at the bottom, I just threw it together. Thanks, and lets begin.

Sports Cards Uncensored - Im not going to paraphrase my own post. Check out the others.

The Easy Life - Steve is a set collector who likes to build his babies from the packs he buys at local retail outlets, he has written a pretty good piece, and I would say I have to applaud him for sticking with it, mainly because of how difficult it is to build a set the way he does.

White Sox Cards - Most of you know this blog because he is a great promoter, but also because he has amassed a huge collection of a team that he loves. Check out his post to get a glimpse into the way that a White Sox collector can actually live with himself (just kidding, Twins still rule!).

Skating in Sand - Mr. Awkward Moment describes a lot of what new collectors go through when they come to/come back to the hobby, or what he likes to call "Overwhelmed." I think that is a perfect way to look at it.

Dinged Corners - Patricia has an awesome and unique blog and has an even more unique tag she has used for her habits: National Collector. Her, lucy and company have some really cool examples of their Asian player collection, Im sure that everyone will enjoy their explanation of a guy known for using a hankercheif on the mound. Weird in a cool way.


West Virginia Cards - Billy Suter talks about being a small town collector in his post, and I think that is a pretty tough existence in this hobby. Without a shop near him, its cool to see he has built up a gigantic 28K+ collection.

Paul's Random Stuff - Paul is a mets collector and an autograph collector, and I think he crosses over two spots that a lot of us are in, mainly collecting actual autographs and collecting one specific team, and then combining that into a nice collection. Its been a long time since the amazins and I feel his pain.

Cougar Cards - This post details one of the toughest types of collectors out there, someone who collects a college, rather than a certain pro team or pro player. What this means is a lot of prospecting and a lot of cross sport collecting. I give him props for pulling that off as well as he has.

Waxaholic - Captain Canuck is a newer type of set collector that has developed over the last few years, or the guy who gets tired with all the crap they put in a set to make sure that its an accomplishment when you are done. He is trying to live a non short print life in a short print world, good luck buddy.


Hawk to the Hall - Charlie has disappeared for a while, but comes back strong with his post on being a player collector of a retired star and being a team collector. Hopefully after this post, he can come back full strength.

Night Owl Cards - Night Owl is also a set collector and I got the anti-SP whiff from him too, he built his love off of Lou Thornton, and im sure Sweet Lou (I dont care if he isnt sweet, all Lou's are forever "Sweet Lous" to me), is proud. Night Owl is a guy I would love to sit down with and talk shop because he uses cards as a way to get in deep with the game. Learning is always key, especially in baseball.

Voice of the Collector - Two words: MAN CAVE. Awesome. Rob is a player collector with two kids, and Im sure a lot of you out there are in a similar position. He has to make choices that many make, and it was cool to see what his decisions have led to.

The Nennth Inning - This blog is really well designed and didnt hurt my eyes. Keep that in mind people. Either way, he is a player and team collector, and I know he has recently come into some money now that Lincecum has become Captain Firetosser for the NL. I identify with him quite a bit because my habits of collecting Twins and Mauer are similar to his with the Giants and Lincecum and company.

Need Mo' Morneau - The Morneau Monster needs more collectors and I was happy to see this blog come about. As the title of the blog suggests, he is not just a player collector, but a unique one. He is one of the collectors that collects a player that is chosen because he is a beast rather than because he is from the guy's hometown team. I was interested to read this.

Cardboard Addiction - Joe is something I thought I would see more of, but really didnt. He is more of a general collector with a tinge of Red Sox nation running through his blood. I think he has taken on a tough task in trying to put together the 52 Topps Set with the Mantle, but I wish him the best of luck.

Tribe Cards - Another central division rival, another awesome post. We all know he is a team collector first and foremost, but damn, he is also pretty damn organized. That was cool to see, we definitely need more shelf pictures around the sphere. I know there are some crazy people out there when designing their display.

The Fleer Sticker Project - Im not really sure how to describe this post, but he collects comics and therefore he is cool in my book. I want to say that oddballs are the focus here, but really there is much more that I cant really put into better words than he did. I really like the Wacky Package thing though, very cool.

BoxBusters - Team collecting is the name of the game, and he was inspired by one of the best to start collecting cardinals. This site is very nicely put together, so please check out the cool posts on team collecting, and of course, box busting.

Sports. Cards. Life. - Paul is the chief graphic designer for SCU and he finally started up his own blog. He posts about being quality over quantity collector just like myself, and I think its pretty cool that people are using this topic as a jumping off point for their blog's beginnings.

Garvey Cey Russell Lopes - My man GCRL has documented his life as a collector of Steve Garvey, the Dodgers, and more specifically the infield of the Dodger team he grew up with. He has explained something that I love, mainly that he aint gonna be givin up any time soon, and that is awesome.

Stats On The Back - mmosley goes over his collection in a way that was very easy to read. He first describes what he was and then what he is, and even goes into a list of what he collects. He gives himself a C+, I think that is modest.

Green Monster - Star is a man who collects sets and dabbles in team collecting, and I think he does a very good job of laying out his habits. I think he is part of a good chunk of the blogosphere that does the same thing, and I am starting to wonder why the manufacturers dont cater to them more often if there are this many. Good post.

Cardboard Junkie - Dayf labels his post as 'silliness' and I dont really know what else to say. He has been around longer than most, and is a self proclaimed collector of everything there is, so I have to give it up for that. He also posts some weird dragon images, and other stuff, so yeah, wow on this one.


Achiever Card Blog - Motherscratcher and his little urban achievers have a post about turning into a set collector after originally being a second worlder. He talks about a dilemma that a lot of people have with cleaning out old cards, I know my dad had to do the same thing.

MLB Collector - SBJ is a set collector with a death wish - just messing with you - he busts blaster and boxes trying to build sets of stuff he likes. Another Mets fan too, I found that interesting that he was. What happens when you mix a blaster with a Pedro game used? A trip to target for underoos and another blaster. Thats what.

Fielders Choice - Dave has been a favorite blogger of mine for a while, mainly because he is one of the only second and first worlders out there. As he puts it, he loves Heritage and Goudey, but also Ballpark Collection and Sweet Spot. Good read here, found out some stuff I didnt know.

Treasure Never Buried - JV is known for being a very good writer and I agree. He says he doesnt know what type of collector he is because he collects too many different types of things, all tied to memories from his life. I say he is a memory lane collector, and its really cool to read about.

Trader's Cracks - Ryan is one of the only non sport collectors in the Bat Around, and although he isnt exclusively non sport, he has a pretty good collection of awesome stuff. If you dont have an A-Team card, you arent cool.

Olagato House - Nichole collects all sorts of paper related stuff, and after reading this, Im not sure what kind of card collector is described in this post but I do know that a pretty avid collector is the name of the game here. I think its pretty cool what this blog is all about.

Padrographs - Rod collects everything Padres including a busty collection of in person style and TTM autos. He even hints at an A-Z type collection, and that is really an awesome feat. I like reading about people who get in on the IP/TTM auto stuff because its something we can all have fun with, and we all appreciate.

Thoughts and Sox - Another sawks team collector, and I gotta say, it even looks like a region collector too because it seems like he has a big collection of everything New England. Its always cool to see the way people get into this biz, and I guess we can all thank different people for it. I liked his story, check it out.

Awesomely Bad Wax - Mike's site is the place to go for TTM autos and prospect reports and his post is great. I dont have enough time to post a paragraph on it, so go check it out.

Bdj610's Topps Card Blog - its cool that Jay Bee gets to close this beast out for now, because he is the only "brand collector" in this thing. I loved reading about how he got into things, and man 42,072 is quite robust and quite down to the single! Wow. Be sure to go read this and finish up your Bat Around.

I think thats about it, and I must say it was a marathon of awesomosity. You guys came through bigger than I ever thought possible, and what we have is a great thing here. I would also like to thank all of you who gave me a new site to read, I have to admit, I hadnt been to every blog on this list. After, however, I wish I had.

There were so many responses, Im sure I missed at least one. If I did, please let me know.

Who's up for hosting next? Haha.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Blog Bat Around - UPDATE

So far this thing is a beast. I have all the write ups done so far and we are over 20 I believe. Keep em coming.

If you have posted, they are in there. Make sure to let me know.

Blog Bat Around - Update and General Housekeeping

Its been awsome over the last few days seeing all the posts that are participating, they are all so well written that its crazy. Who knew there were this many people with the skillz?

Please do your best to have your posts up on your site and a notification in the comments by tonight so I can get this going tomorrow morning. This is going to be huge.

I will let you guys know that tomorrow afternoon I will be flying home to Minnesota for my wedding on the 29th, so the site's functionality will be limited during that week. If you have a comment and it doesnt show up, thats why.

Also, remember that post where I was talking about the interview and his relation to cards and the hobby? Well, I got the promotion and I start my new position on Jan 12 possibly. It will take a lot more planning to keep this train going at full speed, so I may be looking for some more people to help handle the load. This time, you better be committed to writing at least a post a day or every other day, because otherwise this will be really tough, haha.

Thanks a lot, check back for more awesomeness.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Blog Bat Around - My Flag In The Soil Of The Second World

Man, when I posted this topic for the bat around, it was something that I had wanted to hear about for a long time. We always get posts from everyone, but we never really get why the posts are coming in the first place. Im not talking about why they are posting on the blog, but why they are collecting what they are collecting.

For me, I think I have a few labels I would use to describe myself, and all of them are things that have shaped my collection, my blog posts, and even my wax busting. What is funny is that 10 years ago, I dont think there were half the labels that exist right now, but now, I use most of those as my own descriptive words. I think it just goes to show how much this hobby has changed and I will stand by the fact that I think it is a good thing for everyone.

As a second worlder first and foremost, I feel that there are quite a few stigma that come with the title, but frankly I couldnt and wouldnt have it any way. Being a second world inhabitant, you first need to know what you are in for, and Im not sure if I did that before jumping in head first. Second worlders by nature would rather get that jersey card instead of the base card, the auto instead of the jersey, and the auto jersey more than the auto. I call it the Pyramid of AWESOMENESS.



This also means that they dont buy a product for the base, and I would even go so far as saying that most of them either give the base away or chuck it. Products like Topps base mean nothing, unless there is some sort of guaranteed hit per box that carries and holds value. Instead we second worlders spring for Leaf Limited, SP Authentic, and Exquisite, and we are a very proud people.

The problem is that when you bust products like that, the return is pretty minimal. Most of the time, you can spend in upwards of 200 per box, and get nothing in return other than an unsold box hit on eBay. Alas, the plight of the second world box breaker.

For me, on the other hand, I consider myself a second world collector rather than a second world breaker. This means when I buy something, I dont waste my money on buying base cards or 2 dollar jerseys, I spend bigger. I buy the expensive stuff. In my Peterson collection, I find that my average sell value of a card is more than 50 dollars. I have a 400 dollar plus card of Peterson and I display it proudly. The thing is, that fact is not necessarily a good thing , as it means that when I want to be happy with a purchase, I need to spend more. This is a double edged sword in every sense of the word, because I end up with eye popping cards, but a small bank account and a pretty small quanity. Yet, for as long as I have collected, I think that I have enjoyed being a quality over quantity guy, and most poor second worlders are the same as me. Sadly, due to this reality, I cant swim in my cards like Don West, and that makes me feel inadequate in the blogosphere (with most people having 5000+ cards), but still awesome in the fact that my entire collection is able to be displayed all the time.



Narrowing it down even further, I am a Second World player collector and team collector too because the only non-expendable parts of my collection are all Twins and Vikings. Again, a double edged sword in that I have to spend more and be specific in what I buy, but I dont have to buy AS often. I like that, give the wallet a rest after kicking it in the nuts.

I think the reason I have chosen this is because I dont like having most of my collection out of sight. I like to stand naked in front of my accomplishments and feel like a true man on a mission. Be primitive, be proud, be VULGAR about your love for things, go big or go home. My mantra. In fact, I think that MO is why this blog has been as successful as it has. You know you love it, right Eric? Regardless, I cant do that if my trophies are collecting dust in a shoebox, and that is why I love the way I collect.

As for the manufacturers and their support of my way of life in this hobby, I have to say that they are doing a moderately good job. They are guaranteeing more for people who bust second world stuff, and making those breaks more valuable. With Beckett becoming more and more cenile in their old age, the prices arent that bad either when you buy them in a sane world with no reference of book value. However, they still havent done all the things that I need them to do, all of which were explained a few posts ago. Get those cards in cases, give us more to look forward to, make those patches more colors, and no more damn stickers! Im looking at you Topps and DLP.

Most importantly give me better cards to put on my shelf, make the cards more awesome than they have ever been, make 1997 look like a cake walk, make them have bigger and badder concepts with completely new ideas. Put your flag in the effing soil and claim your territory as the manufacturer of legend. I will follow, and I wont be the only one.

New Banner Pt 2

Paul just put this together for me again, and I think its fucking balls out awesome. I cant tell you how amazing he is, thanks again for doing this. You should make a site, for sure. What do you guys think?

Product Review: 2008 Bowman Chrome Football

Im not going to conduct this review in a normal fashion because Bowman Chrome is always such a simple product. In lieu, I want to discuss my opinions on why it works so well, why people flock to this product even though it never promises more than just an Auto and a few parallels.

Price

As of right now, BC is the cheapest worthwhile product on the market. You can buy Score and Topps base for cheaper, but you will get nothing but a few base cards and maybe a relic. Those products are the throwaway products for the brand, and its not supposed to yield anything in a non-jumbo box. For the price you pay, BC delivers pretty much every time, in that the parallels are usually worth enough when you pull a good RC that it can cover the whole box. That, plus the rest of the RC cards you pull at 1-2 per pack will make your venture one of the only remaining positive value breaks around. Usually.

Parallels

The autos are not the focus of this product, the parallels are the focus and then some. They make this product work for a few reasons. Because they are easy to follow in the colors they have, because the sturcture hasnt changed in many years, and because they are numbered cards in a low hit ratio product, everyone wants them. The people who collect them know that a Blue Refractor from 2002 is going to be pretty much the same value as a blue refractor from 2008, that is why they exist. Personally, I actually think that these cards are the only allowable multi-parallels in an overparalleled world because they are pretty much it for BC. I like pulling them, I would buy them, thats how much I support them.

Superfractors

Besides the fact that the design reminds people of gold literally, these things are actually more valuable than its precious metal counterpart. The 1/1 has always brought collectors to a product but never more than the superfractor, mainly because you have such a rare opportunity in pulling them every time you open a box. They are so "rare" that even the veteran ones are hunted down and killed for wall trophies, that is impressive in today's hobby. If you pull a rookie, the best can fetch mammoth money because the sheer number of people that want it make the card ultra super mega valuable. This should go to show Topps that sets like Triple Threads doesnt need 200 1/1's of the same card to be popular, it just needs one, as the numbering suggests. Idiots.

Autographs

Bowman Chrome is a first world set, people try for the completed product every single year, and that makes the 1 per box auto pretty worthless. It doesnt help that group A and B autos are like one every five million cases, and the refractor autos are even rarer, so its understandable they are not the focus. Yet, when you do pull a goodie, make sure you keep it, because they are seeked out for years after release. Imagine what Brady's would cost if it was produced, even as a group Z!

Whales and Non Whales

The Whales break 10 cases of this stuff and dont break the bank, the non whales break 10 boxes and dont break the bank, they both have a chance at all of the above, and it turns this set into a multi-world favorite. That fact never ceases to amaze me as the guy who breaks Exquisite also breaks a ton of BC. Plus, for people like me, I break it too because I can get value out of a 50 dollar investment. Its an onion, peel back the layers and find another, just like a bad actor.

What Works For It This Year?

I would say this year is a good year for BC. I say this because there are a lot of mid level rookies that people will collect, the 2008 class is very flat in topography. What I mean is in that the class isnt top heavy like 2006 with Bush, Leinart, and Young at the top and very little at the bottom, or in 2007 with its major peak in Peterson and little foothills in Quinn, Russell, and Johnson.

Also, the design is pretty good this year, and that always works for a product. In 2007, the design was awful and I bought very little, yet in 2006 it was better, and I bought a little more. In 2008 I will probably buy the most even though I dont specifically collect any of the RCs.

Lastly, its always been a favorite since its inception, so no matter what they do, it will sell. You can take that to eBay and sell it, because its that bankable.

2006 & 2007 National Treasures Football



The break is for (1) box of 2006 National Treasures Football and (1) box of 2007 National Treasures Football. Details below. (Each box will have 6 "guarantee cards--material or auto cards" with at least 3 being autos in each box)-----We have a streak of 2 great breaks going...lets keep the streak going!

1. Slots will be for 2 random teams assigned via random.org (videotaped, etc.)
2. The cost of a slot is $36
3. Payments sent via paypal to: justin.halbersma@gmail.com (Please make sure to include your "handle" and address. Thanks)
4. You will be given a slot only after payment is received.
5. Multi-Team or Non-Football (Cut Autos) will be randomed between the team owners (in the case of multi-team) or all participants without a "hit" (in the case of non-football cuts)
6. All cards will be sent out including the base.
7. Break will be videotaped and posted here with scans and on youtube.
8. Boxes will be ordered once all the slots have been filled.
__________________________________________________

1. Holy Hitter
2. Cardboard Addiction
3. psad21
4. darkship
5. arfmax
6. voluntarheel
7. hupaskin
8. hupaskin
9. Gellman
10. whitesoxcat
11. darkship
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

Blog Bat Around - Clarification

I have had some questions on how to do this, so here is what I need you guys to do before Friday.

1. Write your post
2. Post it on your site before friday
3. send me a link through comments or email so I can read it and write about it
4. it will be posted on the collected links post on friday.
5. If you do not let me know about it, it will not be added to collected links page
6. Everyone can participate
7. This is not a contest, there is no winner.

An example will be up today or tomorrow.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

MVP - More Thoughts

More thoughts on the asinine voting system and people involved in the MVP voting, and yes I now have a grudge almost as big as my grudge against Beckett.

Rob Neyer seems to agree that Pedroia was chosen more because of where he plays than what he actually proved with his 2008 season, but uses stats in a more eloquent way than I did. Check it out, for sure. Here are some idiot comments I want to go over because its fun:

From "Coneway":

Who is this "Rob Neyer" guy with all this mealy mouthed nonsense??

Don't give me this hooey about statistics. The only way a person can really tell who's most valuable is to get your head out of the computer and watch all 2,430 major league games, like REAL fans and beat writers do.


First off, I guarantee that there is not a beat writer on the planet that watches every game. There are very few "REAL fans" that do as well. What this cup of douche nozzle residue represents is a number of people within the BBWAA who feel the exact same way. What they dont understand is that you can use a computer to show you exactly WHY those players are doing what they're doing. If he is the MVP, there are tons of stats that show it, however, most of them are very tough to understand how they are derived, and most want simple layman statistics to use. What that leads to is very hole ridden stats that dont show a complete picture or even the album the picture is in. They think that stats are evil, and they are retards.

From "DamianMarc":

Mauer, r u kidding, u have a better arguement for the other twin, or the other sox, look at the numbers, pedroia's the man, and besides twins didnt make the playoffs, PLAYOFFS, so the only way mauer could have won if his numbers were gaudy aka a-rodish, and they werent, case closed!

Obviously the people on ESPN are not smart people. Rob Neyer just used numbers to show why Pedroia was not a good choice. But let me reinterate: MVPs are not supposed to be factored in by whether or not their TEAM makes the playoffs, this is because a player can be amazing on a team of losers and still have everything it takes to be the MVP. Look at ARod on the Rangers, was it his fault that the team's ERA was 5+ for the ENTIRE season? No. As for the second argument, Pedroia's numbers werent gaudy either, he just hit 8 more balls over the fence. I watched Mauer play every game this season, and guess what, he had 6 that came within five inches, and yet, that wouldnt matter to this fuckhead.

From "Bosoxx113":

Pedroia is one of those guys you have to watch day in and day out to appreciate.

This is really a moot point because obviously he was appreciated enough to be considered and win. What you are trying to say is that intangibles are the name of the game, and that is shit. Intangibles mean very little in overall production, as the reason they are called intangibles, or unmeasurables. Well, in a stat driven sport where so many measures ARE available, intangibles mean nothing. Everyone has them and I guarantee that Pedroia has the same and or equal amounts of intangibles as Ichiro, the last place vote getter. Plus, Ichiro cares for the game more than anyone, so therefore he is a better player. Uh-uh.

From "PeoplChamp":

The next time people wanna talk about how in love with Boston ESPN is, they should reference this article. Dustin Pedroia wins a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, MVP, and was points of a batting title and this Herb can't just tip his cap? Wanna know why Joe Mauer isn't as valuable? Cause he doesn't play in as many games. And cause if your team misses the playoffs then you aren't that valuable... cause they could have missed the playoffs WITHOUT you.Don't get me wrong, I love Joe Mauer. But the guy has everything looks, ability, money... I don't think he needs an MVP award too.
Good for you D-Ped. The Nation loves and respects you if no one else can

Let me go over something. Gold gloves and silver sluggers mean about as much as All Star Game appearances. They are not given to the best defenders, just the ones that the guys think are worthy of consideration, i.e. Torii Hunter and Ivan Rodriguez. The voters dont know enough about the whole league to consider anyone else. Now, Torii is a great fielder and so is Ivan, but they got their gold gloves even when they were shitty players on defense. You know why? Because they had won the year before. That is the only reason. Otherwise, its whoever had the most webgems on BBTN. Its not actual play/range/arm, etc, all of which are shown by stats that are not factored in. Its completely subjective.

As for not playing in as many games, that is bull. Mauer plays a position that demands high impact shit and needs a day off more than a second baseman who doesnt spend 162 games in a croutch getting pounded by 90+ mph pitches 150 times a game. Plus if the above comment were true, Pedroia would be ahead in WPA and Win Shares. He is not, Mauer is on top.

As for playoffs, the Twins were 1 run away from going to the playoffs. But again, that is a TEAM acheivement. Mauer cant help that Neshek was hurt for the whole season, or that Crain gave up 18 runs in an inning twice down the stretch. He cant help that Morneau batted .232 or whatever during September. All he is responsible for is Joe and calling the games, all of which he did amazing in.

Moving on to some of the votes, I have to call out some idiots.

First off, to the cock knocker who gave Pujols a 7th place vote, you should be fired. When you put up a season where you kick everyone's ass as much as Pujols did, you shouldnt receive a 2nd place vote, let alone a 7th. Do you really think that 6 other players were better than Pujols? Either way, this guy is complete and utter fucking scum. Look at his fucking ballot, I loathe him and I hope he loses more than his job. Can someone call Shang Tsung to steal his soul? That would rock. (h/t go cards)

Secondly, to the 12 people that voted for Howard, HRs and RBIs mean very little in a players worth as I have beaten to death. What is sad is that you voted for a guy who had an OBP of .339 with a .251 avg and 199 SOs. That is pretty crazy considering what Pujols did.

Lastly, if you look at the way the votes kicked out, you have to be surprised how many stupid people there are in total. I could lay out my votes really quickly, and they would be based on provable stuff. Its sad that people think computers are the devil when they do so many things better than just "watching." Plus, to the commenter on ESPN who said "everything you know about baseball you got from a box score," I would say this, you cant learn about baseball from a box score, but you can do some pretty crazy things from combining the actual game with the box score in stat form. Check it out, you may learn something, which I know is against your religion.

AL MVP - Who Should Win, Who Should Not

When you look at MVP, a lot of people have ridiculous ideas of what makes a person the most valuable player. Some use HRs and RBIs as the measure, others say it is whether or not the person made the playoffs with the team, most people just look at who they remember as being the best player they saw play. I am telling you that there are specific stats we should use, and thankfully enough people voted for Pujols that I didnt have to write this post for him.

Here are the ways I look at it, mostly through stats created for the very reason of determining a player's value to their team, like WARP and VORP, or Wins Over Replacement Player (Pitchers and Batters) and Value Over Replacement Player (just hitters). So, if we have a stat that determines it, why not use it as a "qualifyer" at least.

Here are the VORP leaders in the AL:

1. AROD: 62.4
2. Sizemore: 60.7
3. Pedroia 59.8
4. Mauer 57.1
5. Bradley 56.2
(FYI - PUJOLS: 98.7, or, in other words, completely fucking ridiculous)

Here are the WARP1 Leaders (pitchers rarely win MVP):

1. Cliff Lee 10.4
2. Mariano Rivera 10.3
3. Roy Halladay 9.8
4. Dustin Pedroia 9.8
5. Joe Mauer 9.6

Now, the formula factors in a ton of different things that determine value, and I could lay it out, but really it wouldnt make sense to anyone without a statistics background. But, regardless, the higher the better. The higher the number, the higher value the player has in their 2008 statistics. Personally, that list is pretty good. Lets delve a little deeper with Win Shares, or, the number of times a player directly factored into a win for their team (paraphrase). Here are the 2008 leaders:

1. Mauer 31
2. Morneau 29
3. Youkilis 29
4. Sizemore 28
5. Hamilton 27

So again, both Mauer and Sizemore are back in it, I agree with that. How about some more basic categories like OBP, AVG and SLG? Here are the leaders in those:

OBP

1. Bradley .436
2. Mauer .413
3. Markakis .409

AVG

1. Mauer .328
2. Pedroia .326

SLG

1. ARod .573
2. Quentin .571
3. Youkilis .569

OPS

1. Bradley .999
2. ARod .965
3. Quentin .965

Ok, those all seem about right, and funny enough, Pujols is at or near the top in every category we have done so far. Yet, I have yet to see any of the front runners for the AL have a considerable lead in any race based on stats that matter. Its basically a dead heat in terms of importance within the league. However, I dont see A-rod talked about in any discussions for MVP which is pretty crazy considering that his stats say otherwise. Its so shocking here, that no one seems to realize that the the MVP is not about making the playoffs (a team acheivement), hitting the most HRs (an acheivement that rarely equates anywhere else in valuablity), or even the most RBIs (if you hit .500, but there is no one on base, RBIs would be a bad stat to judge your worth). Its more about who is the most valuable PLAYER based on your production and value over another player on the team and in the league.

Do I think Mauer, my favorite player, will win? No. Should he win? Maybe. It comes down to the fact that Pedroia will win because the voters dont know how to correctly judge a player. Look at how many voted 1st place for Ryan Howard - they are complete ASSHATS. Ill tell you, I wish FJM were still around because my stat knowledge is so minimal that I can only say so much, they say it much better than I could. Pedroia is a top candidate, dont get me wrong, but they make the decision for the wrong reason. A hitter is not about how many HRs or RBIs he can produce, its about factoring into a winning situation the most times, being a good defender, and putting up mammoth hitting stats in ones that matter.

Why cant Baseball Prospectus choose who wins the award?

UPDATE (Or further proof that the voters are complete douches):

WHO THE FUCK GAVE JASON FUCKING BARTLETT A 5th PLACE VOTE? I WANT TO GO TO THEIR HOUSE AND HAVE A HORSE KICK THEM IN THE BALLS. TWICE.

Pull Of A Lifetime? Yes and No.



If you have been a frequent visitor to the high priced sorting feature on the card section of eBay, you are already familiar with this auction for the dual cut pope card. Its part of the Yankee Stadium Legacy set, and it was the chase card to draw people to buy.

However, I look at this card, and I cant help but feel disappointed. The reason I feel disappointed, is two fold, mainly stemming from the fact that this card has Yankee stadium legacy plastered all over it, and also the fact that it is not one of the better designed "Historical Cuts" or included in one of those "Piece of History" sets out of Premier Baseball and Legendary Cuts. Plus, with half of the collecting world becoming tired of the New York Yankee hand job they have gotten all fucking year, I dont think this was a nice way to give people a "happy ending."

Now, I am not saying this because I am interested in the card, I am not, nor am I even thinking about this in a personal fashion. I feel bad for the guy who pulled it because he could have had a pretty historically significant card if it didnt have a tribute to a building all over it.

He wont get 200K for this card, and it probably wouldnt sell for more than 10K - the ceiling for all modern chase cards with few exceptions. But he could have gotten close to the ceiling if it wasnt part of a set that was geared only towards one team's fans, who a lot of people love to hate.

Like I said before, Yankee Stadium was only Baseball's cathedral because of the players that graced the field, it had nothing to do with any building (it was a craphole), any mass held there, or any concert. Last time I checked, the pope didnt watch baseball, and thats what makes this card stick out like a sore thumb among a poorly conceived idea like Yankee Stadium Legacy.

Details For The First Blog Bat Around - Please Read If You Are Participating

Disclaimer: You did not need to reply to the last post to participate. This is completely open.

I think there is enough interest to get this going, so here is what I would like to see happen. The first part of the details is pretty much the rules, the second part is the topic for the Bat Around, and that is open to your interpretation. Please make sure you do what you need to do at least partially, and I will make sure you get on the page for the finished product. I would hope that a lot of people contribute, and I think the more we get, the Merrier. Not everyone reads or likes this site, but I would still expect that they would want to participate, so pass the word along. Advertise on your own site if you would like, it is your article/post that will be up there, so the more people that read the Bat Around, the more people come to your site.

Rules:

-Please make your article at least semi-relevant to the topic. You can be as creative as you want, but keep the general topic in mind. If its about Book Value, you can go on a relevant Beckett rant, but dont do a product review of Masterpieces, something like that.

-Keep your article PG or PG-13, I really wont censor it, but I think that to include the maximum amount of people, this is necessary.

- Please give your article a title, and mark it so its easy to find when you give me the link. If you want your full name included and not just your blog title, put it in there somewhere.

- Give us something to read, so dont give me 2 sentences and call it a day. Make this a normal post, as you would want your readers to see it as a normal part of your blog.

- You do not have to include the topic in your post.

- Please comment here or email me the link to your article with any special instructions.

The first Bat Around will be posted sometime during Friday morning. If you have not written your article by then, you are not banned, but your link will be at the bottom of the list. Please have your Post to me by Thursday at midnight at the latest. Please post on your site, do not send me a word doc. If you do not have a blog but want to post, I will accept guest posts on this site.

Topic:

Most of us classify ourselves as some type of collector in this industry. Player collector, team collector, set collector, auto collector, first world, second world, among thousands of other labels. As you have navigated the hobby, what are the biggest challenges you face as that type of collector or label of hobby enthusiast? What have been your biggest successes/failures? What would you like to see the manufacturers focus on to make your type of collector flourish in the hobby? Feel free to provide blog examples, scans, poems, haikus, bar napkin messages, medical prescriptions, etc as complements to your posts. If you feel your type has been covered on another blog, tell us how you do things the same or differently. If you dont identify yourself as a type, explain why, or explain how you think of yourself. You do not have to answer any or all of the questions asked here.

Remember, thursday at midnight.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Blog Bat Around - Topic Suggestions

Since people seem to have some sort of interest in the Bat Around, is there anything specific that people want the first Bat Around to focus on?

Here are some examples I may choose for the topic:

1. Describe your favorite and most hated thing about cards 1996-present. We know that cards have drastically changed since the invention of the jersey card, auto card, and the numbered parallel, this is your chance to tell us what you think about this entire era of the hobby.

2. eBay has provided a marketplace to millions who wouldnt otherwise have a place to buy cards. However, with that, it also brings scams upon scams upon scams. What do you think about eBay's involvement in the shaping of the hobby, and what are some things that could be changed to help make it a safer place to buy?

3. There are a lot of new collectors that stumble on to the blogosphere every day, looking for information about a vastly expanding hobby, talk about something you think is essential for them to take away from what they read. Has it been addressed on a site already? If so, how would you address that thing in a different way?

4. How did you choose what you collect? Not everyone collects based on a favorite team or a favorite player, but if you do, what about those teams and players drew you to them? How has your collection grown since your decision?

5. All of us have made mistakes since our first experiences as collectors. What was that mistake? How did you learn from it? Have you done anything to make sure others dont do the same thing you did?

6. Design your own set, tell us exactly what sport(s) would be included, what the theme would be, who would be your spokespeople, and what the names of the subsets and inserts would be. Go as far as you want, nothing is out of bounds. Exclusives do not come into play.

Anyone else have ideas they would like to suggest? Everything will be considered.

Blog Bat Around - Input Needed

To all bloggers:

One of the things that I have learned while blogging is that we have a pretty cool little community round this 'sphere. Well, I would like to take advantage of the close knit group and throw something out there for your review. What I would like to do is provide a broad topic or even a more specific one, and see how each card or sports blog responds. If we can get this going a few times, someone new could host each time, and the links from every single person who writes would be compiled on one post on one of the sites regardless of opinion or readership.

What would result would be a list of responses to the topic that would show a bunch of different perspectives that wouldnt otherwise be gathered in one place. We would set a deadline for your response, however long or short it would be, and then it would be your responsibility and the job of the host to post the list with short descriptions of each post. No one would be ineligible for a response, so even the non-card blogs could get into it. We would need help spreading the word, so that is a necessity to participate. Hopefully if all goes to plan, we could have a pretty long list of articles posted with no need for any discrimination based on blog size or topic.

It would be advertised around as I would love all the blogs to participate, and I think it would be really amazing to get a ton of opinions on a certain thing like breaking wax, book value, team vs player collecting - whatever you want. I know a lot of people have asked for a way that the entire collective could weigh in on topics without having to make their blog a big thing, and I think this would be a great way to do that.

Plus, it would promote blogs with a smaller reader base to be a bigger thing, give people a base to create their own blog, and also help the bigger blogs get their points across in a forum sort of fashion.

If you are in, let me know, and ill see how many we can get. I would also need a host for this first Bat Around, unless people are okay with me hosting the first one.

SCU on the Card Podcast at Superfractor.com

Thanks to Rob for inviting me on to the podcast for a conversation about the hobby and the site. If you havent checked out his site, head over to Superfractor.com to check out the episodes and the rest of his stuff.

Click here to download

Value Bumps: Week 11

I cant do to much of an intro on a busy day today, but damn, 10-0? I seriously thought the Titans would suck this year. Who knew?

Tony Romo

Comes back and wins against Washington? That gets a bump because the Cowboys fans just collectively gizzed themselves and went out and bought half a gazillion Romo cards. Even without Portis, I would have expected Washington to win just out of principle, but Big D and Mrs Simpson come through.

BUMP: UP

DeAngelo Williams

Its interesting to see this guy come through for the second week in a row. Coming out of the 2006 draft, not one person would say the top two RBs would be Drew and Williams. Granted, Willams did play against the University of Detroit Lions (Div IIa), but he still was a beast.

BUMP: UP

Maurice Jones-Drew

2 TDs after a 3TD week gets you a nice bump in this hobby, and his cards were already doing pretty good. I would get on his shit if you can because the human bowling ball will continue to be a force in this league, just wait until Taylor retires.

BUMP: UP

Peyton Hillis

Who the fuck is Peyton Hillis, and how the fuck did he score two TDs? Its almost guaranteed that if you are a RB in Denver, you are going to be getting carries and scores. Jesus christ, its like a fucking factory over there.

BUMP: UP

Steve Slaton

Good game gets you a bump, great game at 150+ with a TD gets you a bigger bump. Stevie Slaton has proven that while he has trouble signing his cards, he does have a pretty good shot at being a good RB.

BUMP: UP

Jamarcus Russell

Still shitting it up over in Oakland and he keeps showing that Al Davis really needs to invest in a little more offensive talent to surround him or he will be the next Akili Smith.

BUMP: DOWN

Larry Johnson

Comes back from his ban of douchebaggery and puts up 19 for 67. Good fucking job, asshole. Go back to your hole.

BUMP EMERITUS: DOWN

Possible Bumps for Next Week

Aaron Rodgers - At the top now, but has the chance to shine again on Monday night.
Matt Fucking Forte - Against a shittier rush defense than the Packers? You better perform.
Darren McFadden - He better get going or he will drop faster than Culpepper's passer rating.

Vikings Recap: Week 11



Another week, another game we could have won. Crappy play all around, and even more poor coaching decisions leave us with a 500 record and a tough schedule on the horizon. I gotta make this quick because of work, so here is what I have.

Brad Childress

You would expect Childress to get out coached by Gruden, but not as badly as he did in the second half. It was a blood bath, and I kept saying to myself, "As an NFL coach, even the crappiest people don’t make this decision." As I have said before that 4th down situations should not be allowed in childress' playbook, that someone else should call the play and decide whether or not to go for it. To set up two fourth and short plays with a pass when you have the best RB in the league and a VERY capable backup is so fucking inexcusable that I don’t care if they had converted them both. To basically hand the Bucs a field position that would result in a game clinching field goal on the second to last drive was so fucking dumb, and you didn’t even have peterson on the field! I am so pissed I cant even make sense. Dennis Green was an asshole, but he was a better coach. Tice was too soft on the players, but he was a better coach. Childress is an arrogant ass who is getting his ass handed to him every week, and has managed to SQUEAK out 5 wins. That sucks with the defense we have, Defense wins championships.

Gus Frerotte

If I see him skip another ball to a receiver on a crucial play, I will walk to the dome and cut off his arm with a hacksaw dunked in hot sauce. Its sad that we passed on a guy like Brohm or even Henne on a trade up in the draft because this is fucking gross when it comes to the talent of our QBs. The announcers said something like "you cant doubt frerotte because his experience is key" or some hyperbolic bullshit like that during the two fourth quarter last minute drives. He proceeded to A) get sacked B) get sacked again C) throw a dump off pass under pressure and D)Skip a ball to a reciever that may or may not have been an overthrow.

Bobby Wade

Sucks, stop throwing to him. He has no idea what a fucking curl route is.

Offensive Line

Played like a glorified bunch of high schoolers in the second half. Two sacks in a row on a crucial drive in the 4th quarter and they should be running laps until they puke their assholes out of their mouths.

Sidney Rice

Where the fuck is he? I swear to god he better get on that field.

Bernard Berrian

Start calling every pass play to him or someone that can actually catch.

Adrian Peterson

When a guy puts up 71 in the first quarter, YOU KEEP GIVING HIM THE FUCKING BALL.

God fucking damnit I am so angry about this loss. So poorly played.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

2006 & 2007 Playoff National Treasures Football



Okay, I know there has been a call for a baseball break, but I am waiting until some new releases before breaking out a new baseball break. Right now however, the next break is for (1) box of 2006 National Treasures Football and (1) box of 2007 National Treasures Football. Details below. (Each box will have 6 "guarantee cards--material or auto cards" with at least 3 being autos in each box)-----We have a streak of 2 great breaks going...lets keep the streak going!

1. Slots will be for 2 random teams assigned via random.org (videotaped, etc.)
2. The cost of a slot is $36
3. Payments sent via paypal to: justin.halbersma@gmail.com
4. You will be given a slot only after payment is received.
5. Multi-Team or Non-Football (Cut Autos) will be randomed between the team owners (in the case of multi-team) or all participants without a "hit" (in the case of non-football cuts)
6. All cards will be sent out including the base.
7. Break will be videotaped and posted here with scans and on youtube.
8. Boxes will be ordered once all the slots have been filled.
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1. Holy Hitter
2. Cardboard Addiction
3. psad21
4. darkship
5. arfmax
6. voluntarheel
7. hupaskin
8. hupaskin
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Friday, November 14, 2008

Something I Will Miss Deeply

Earlier today, Fire Joe Morgan, one of my favorite sites on the net announced that they were not going to be posting anymore due to a number of reasons. Being that the flagship writer is also a writer for the Office, im not surprised that they dont have the time anymore. If you have not read FJM, you have missed out on some of the most clever, hilarious, and "snarky" blogging ever, and I dont like you any more.

I know that not everyone snoops around the 'sphere, so ill clue you in. The every day MO for the site is basically to take a piece written by the seeemingly endless pool of awful sports writers and comically dissect every awful hyperbole and bad stat they use. Their main goal was to clue people in to the awful announcing skills of emmy winner Joe Morgan, more specifically his ridiculously funny weekly chats on ESPN.com, and also to show people like Buzz Bissinger that there are bloggers out there who DO know what they are talking about.

In fact, I would credit them with sparking my interest in blogs, and I have been a reader for a very long time. I couldnt listen to a baseball broadcast without thinking of their commentary, and I no longer judge a pitcher or batter by the awful and stupid standard stats that they are always judged by.

Thank you to them for the laughs and the commentary, it will be missed for sure.

Value Bump MVPs - First Half

We are coming up on the start of the second half of the season, and I wanted to go through and give you my perspective on what the hobby looks like based on the stories from the first 8 games. There have been quite a few bumps, and I think there is some major topics to cover based on those. These arent your typical awards, mainly because this is based on the hobby rather than performance on the field. However, performance factors in, so take it as you will.

Collector Rookie of the First Half - Chris Johnson

Coming into the season, there were a few Running Backs who we thought would be the guy to bank on, and prices showed that. McFadden, Jones, Stewart, etc, but Chris Johnson was no where to be found in that company. Matt Ryan, Chad Henne and Brian Brohm had a following as the top QBs in the draft, especially Ryan, so they were already high priced. Then, once people saw the autograph Fail-VP in action, his cards jumped. Matt Forte also had a jump, but was already higher on the list after Benson was benched and he was named the started. That is why the guy with the Prize is Mr "Death By Sharpie," Chris Johnson.

He leads the league in RC rushing yards, rushing TDs, Yds/Game avg, and YPC avg. He also has the second highest number of first downs gained, and the number of rushes over 20 yards with 5.

Biggest RC Disappointment of the First Half - Rashard Mendenhall

A top prospect going into the season with a great team makes you valuable in this hobby. Too bad Mendenhall's value dropped faster than George Bush's approval rating once people saw the future "star" on the sideline with chronic fumblitis. He got into a game or two, but was usually limited in his carries, and ended up getting hurt before he could accomplish anything. This runner up for the autograph Fail-VP went from a nice pull to another Eric Ainge pull, and a lot of collectors were left holding the bag. That sucked.

McFadden was a person who was among the finalists too, but he spent more time on the field, and his cards are actually still pretty valuable. Mendenhall, not so much.

Biggest Bump Among Non-RCs - Brandon Jacobs

Its funny that people in bigger markets like Jacobs, never get any attention unless they are the cornerstone of a team. Well, Jacobs has finally gotten a portion of the spotlight, and his cards have reflected as such. He went from a 2 dollar auto pull to a considerable pull thanks to his beastly gains in both TD production and total yardage. It doesnt hurt that the Giants are having a good season, but good luck trying to get more than a two color patch out of these jersey fails.

He is fourth in the league in rushing, has a staggering 9 TDs to his credit, and is second in the league in rushes over 20 yards with 10. Pretty big bump there - check out his stats from last year.

Comback Hobby Player of the First Half - LenDale White

9-0? Check. 11 TDs? Check. Facemask that is squished against your face? Check. Huge hobby bump from last year? Check.

When LenDale white came out of last season, the guy must have known that things werent going as planned. When he saw that Kerry Fucking Collins was signaled as the starter when Vince-y boy went down, he must have thought it would have been a long season. Luckily this guy is a goal line cloverfield, and scores more TDs than some entire teams. That will get you far in this hobby. 2006 was a hobby super year (not so much now), and White was riding Bush's coattails into a semi-valuable hobby following. Once he got on the field and people saw his production, or lack there of, his value plummeted. Now, finally, its back up. Congrats.

Biggest Hobby Disappointment, First Half - Vince Young

Holy crap. I dont even know where to start with the golden boy. First he says he doesnt know if he wants to play football anymore, then he gets injured, and finally he goes off on a 3 day quest to find himself that makes people start a suicide watch for him. What a mess. He is now back on the sidelines, but he is already with the rest of the class of '06 in the dumps. If you are still holding his shit, you are dumber than I thought you were.

Thing That No One Could Imagine Happening In a Million Years - Adrian Peterson Holding His Value From Last Year's Boom.

I predicted that Purple Jesus would get crucified when he didnt put up monster numbers behind an AWFUL team. What didnt expect was this guy to emerge as THE leader on the team and blow everyone away with his tenacity and production. He has held his value, and that is fucking scary considering where it was following a ROY, Pro-Bowl MVP (Meaningless, but still drives value), and the NFL record for yards in a single game.

So far, he is leading the league in rushing yards, YPC avg, and runs over 20 yards with a ridiculous 14. He is second in first downs acheived, and just about every other secondary category. That is beast mode activated, right Marshawn?

Brightest 2nd Half Hobby Future - Matt Ryan

I never expected a rookie QB to have success, ever. The game is just too tough to learn without any experience, look at the best in the business, and none of them did well their RC season (if they even played). Ryan is different, and to tell you the truth, he needed to be, in a franchise coming off the Michael Vick scandal. If he continues to be awesome, the Falcons have a good shot at making the playoffs behind him. I am watching for sure.

The Kurt Warner Award For Coming Out of Nowhere to Be Awesome - Kurt Warner

I picked him up on my fantasy team to be a backup "just in case," yet he has been my starter week in and week out. The guy is putting up numbers and a half, and I gotta give it to him, it sounds awfully familiar. When the Rams won the Super Bowl, he was the story of the year coming from left field to lead a team to greatness. I think this is a similar situation, though they probably wont go anywhere in the playoffs. He leads the league in QB rating and is near the top in everything, despite missing Anquan Boldin for 2+ weeks.

Biggest Predicted Bump For Second Half - RCs on the Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens are coming on strong and Ray Rice running behind Joe Flacco is proving to be a lethal combo for many defenses. Add in Willis McGahee, and you will have a big bump for these guys when they go pretty deep into the playoff hunt. When the season is over, both Rice and Flacco could be among the top RCs in value, behind Ryan and Chris Johnson.

I wouldnt count Jonathan Stewart out of it though.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Ridiculously High Cost Break: SP Authentic FB Case



Guys, I am throwing this out there, and I want to hear input. There has been talk of busting a case of SPA Football this year, and I wanted to see if anyone was in based on the following parameters:

2 Random Teams: 84 dollars

-or-

1 Random Team: 42 dollars

12 boxes, 3 hits per box, 8 RC patch autos per case, 4 other autos like the leatherheads or the letter autos per case, a whole lotta base.

What should we do? Should we do this at all? Could we find 32 people to go in if we chose the cheaper route? Please let me know.

NOTE: THIS PRODUCT IS NOT OUT UNTIL JANUARY, KEEP THAT IN MIND PLEASE.

High End to No End

With the reported layoff of UD employees, the obvious crapfest that is the current economy, and the seemingly growing downward trend in this once recession-proof industry, its going to be a long haul until things start perking up. High end products seem to be suffering the most, as expected, mainly because many of the shops that buy the boxes to sell end up selling them at a loss or extremely minimal gain due to the lack of whales that can now waste their money on cardboard. Yet, the companies keep churning out low quality, high cost products like Topps/Bowman Sterling FB and BB, Eschelon BKB, even Premier FB and BB in some circles, among others.

So, if the shops are getting killed, why are these products being created at an alarming rate? Hell, Razor has even created the first $1000+ product, and though its ridiculously limited to 99 boxes, its still happening. I think its time to look at inserting something that makes these products valuable again, and make it less than one per one million cases. UD is revamping Exquisite to include 1 more card that is a guaranteed "gold edition" auto, plus adding many new features including a guaranteed pull from the A List per case. Will it help? Maybe for the select people that can afford a case these days, but not the rest of us. Job security is low in many industries, and 40% of Americans say they will spend less this Christmas season.

Here is what I would do:

-If you are going to charge more than $200 dollars for a product, there better be autos on every jersey card.
-If you are including non-autoed hits, they better be of valuable or dead players.
-Encase all the cards. I dont need a chipped card when I spend more than $200.
-Give me a guaranteed list per case
-Photo database of cards needs to be available, I know this may be tough with the people who do this living in different states than where the cards are boxed, but it needs to be figured out.
-More contrived scarcity instead of larger numbers of needless parallels. Why would my card be a 1/1 when there are 4 parallels of the 1/1 itself? Keep the numbering low.
-No base cards. I dont need to pay 100 dollars a card and see a base card in there.
-More colors in higher end product patch cards. I know you have 1 color parts of the jersey, but save those for the lower end product.
- Better boxing a la National Treasures. Make the box look as nice as the set.
- Not a single sticker. If you want me to shell out the dough, get the athelete to sign. Redemptions are fine if you can fufill them properly or replace them nicely if it is impossible for the athelte to sign.
- Keep the checklist to people that matter, RCs and Stars only. No more Brodie Croyle, Charlie Frye, and company in these sets.
- Keep the checklist to skill position players and important defenders if they are not retired.
- Put more than one box hit in a box. Products like Sterling will not work in todays market because no one wants to spend $350 on a box where the hit is a jersey card. Even worse when it is obvious the jersey is "event used" from an old timers game rather than game used.

There are others, and yes, this is a pipe dream, but it should be happening. If the manufacturers actually produced better products or products with tons of value, then people will buy, thats the way it has always been.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

2007 Leaf Limited



Well, you all will see this is a sweet break. Watch and find out. I apologize in advance for the hoarse voice as I am pretty sick. I also apologize for the multiple use of the word "hit." I am trying to eliminate that word from my vocabulary, but I slipped up due to the sickness......









AND THE BIG ONE!!!!!

First Look: 2008 Playoff National Treasures Football

I have the sell sheet for Playoff National Treasures and I didnt need to go crying to DLP to get it. Plus, the cards on the sell sheet are more than 50% pen pals, so we can actually see what the majority of the set will look like instead of a few logo cards and a bunch we have already seen.

Anyways, these super dee duper double secret exclusive non-cry cards are pretty much exactly what we got last year with some more color. That is not a criticism, as last year was great, but lacking in cards that stood out from the group. Call it the sports card cheerleader effect, as together they all look amazing, but individually they usually are just 'nice' (For those of you who do not watch "HIMYM," please google it to find out). This year, with the color added to most of the cards, I think it can be pretty cool. I will say, I really think the vertical base cards and subsequent parallels are going to suuuuuuuck.

Some new developments - 3 boxes to a case instead of 6, dual logo cards for the RCs, and a few more parallels of everything (yay...).

Based on the revamp that Exquisite is getting this year, I would expect it to blow NT out of the water in sales (as it has for 3 years). That is a problem, as I think NT is a better break than Exquisite has ever been, but some people dont like high end unless it has the UD symbol on it.

Since I have not heard back from Gregg regarding the specific details on the new Exquisite, or why the cocksucking douches at Beckett are receiving boxes again, I will have to get back to you guys.


(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Im Not Sure I Trust This...



The Exquisite Peterson 1/1 rare materials is up again, and I remember seeing it before when it was posted on the message boards. Its obviously a nice card, and the signature on it is definitely unique, but there is something missing that I remember being an issue.

When it was pulled, I recall there being a pretty dinged up bottom edge, and a really bad back of the card ding. Normally on a 1/1, I would say "who cares, its a 1/1!", but I think this was dinged enough for it to be a problem. The seller may have gotten the card replaced, but I think I would need to see all the edges of the card before I would even think of dropping 3 grand on this (I, of course, do not have the money).

On a side note, the pic on this card is ridiculous, I cant believe they picked it for the 1/1. Here is how I read it:

Ok, Mr. Peterson, we still need a few more shots, I know this has been a long day. Can you give me one more really sweet pic of you in your "game face?" No? Ok, lets try you just looking anything less than completely annoyed with me. No? How about taking off the helmet and giving me a goofy smile like Topps does? No? Ok, well, I guess this will have to do. I hate my job.

Also, I would think that over the next few weeks and months, there will be a boom of highly expensive cards as people's economic security drops with the Dow Jones. Oddly enough, the Mauer bat barrell from 08 premier just popped up too, but there is no way I will win that with the known number of people gunning for it. Plus, its a black barrell, which he hasnt used in at least 3 years, if ever - wierd.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Its Funny Because Its True...



From GraphJam, I think its a really funny graph, mainly because its so true. I remember back when Magic cards were first released, and how little interest I had in them. I couldnt understand why people were actually throwing down thousands on them, considering the fact that it was a game rather than a collectible. Magic cards have since blended the two worlds and brought about some of the most valuable gaming cards EVER. The funny thing is, that back when I was a kid, I shunned Magic cards for the obvious "better" investment in baseball cards. Of course that was completely stupid, as the Magic cards from that era are worth thousands, and my 1987 donruss set is worth less than the cardboard it was printed on.

Moral of the story: never underestimate the power of nerds when combined with collectability.

As a self proclaimed nerd in many definitions of the word, this should be gospel to all.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Praise the Effing Lord



A big thank you to Chris Johnson for not being a turd sandwich or a giant douche and actually signing his full name. Granted, he doesnt have the best sig in the world, but I was ready to boycott his cards permanently if he didnt grow a fucking hand and sign the cards instead of using his mouth or feet. Hopefully this continues with SPA, NT, and Exquisite. That would be BOSS.

Product Review: 2008 UD Masterpieces Football

Thank god this set was brought to other sports, because the idea of it is way too good to let Baseball hog it. I love the elegance of the set, and I do have a few things to say about it, but let me assure you, this is the only set like this I would ever consider buying, as Turkey Red can suck it.

The Good

I cant say enough good things about the base cards, they are freaking gorgeous works on most, and even the bad ones are still better than most of the other crap out there right now. I love the idea of doing paintings for cards, as you know that there are probably millions of amateur artists that have done the exact same thing as pictured on these cards. Not only do they have great works, but they also get to choose the poses that they like, so you dont have to wait for that perfect game shot - see the Peterson vs Chargers card if you dont believe me.

I like the inserts too, as they have a lot of really nice smaller pieces included in it. The jerseys and autos are nicer than I expected, and I was shocked to see them as all on card. Very nice. There are some bad aspects to this, which I will get to, but an overall win.

There really isnt much to this set, and that is beyond awesome. More sets need this type of thing to help it be legit, and I think it works perfectly a la Chrome. With such pretty cards, you dont need much.

As featured before on here, I like the past and present cards which combine older players with newer players to create a new aspect of this set. Its cool to see Butkus go after All Day, even though it looks like he aint gonna catch him, and I think it adds a lot to a set that feels retro in a modern way.

The Bad

I like the on card autos, but the sets with the rookies have them in their college jersey. Obviously most were signed at the Premiere, so its inevitable, but it still looks out of place when they have regular cards in their NFL jersey next to these. Its not awful, but I wanted more new stuff from the RCs.

The parallels in this set are just about the worst thing ever. They look okay, but there are so fucking many of them that I want to pull my hair out and feed it to the parallel god. Do we really need this many? There are like 20.

The Ugly

I am so fucking pissed that there are no auto'ed versions of the base cards. Now I have to find a way on my own to get them done, and that sucks when you live half a country away from your favorite team. Hopefully Shawn at DA Cardworld can come through for me...

Its funny, for someone that hates base cards as much as I do, I love autoed base cards. The base designs of a set usually look so much better than the inserts, and the auto on them always make them a target for me. It sucks I cant get an auto of some of the best base cards ever.

Overall, this set rocks just for the production values. I love it. Go buy five boxes and wow yourself with how great it looks. The paintings will blow your mind with how cool they are as actual cards. I know there was at least one anonymous commenter that thought I was up UD's ass, but Im sure that this set is a universal "booyah" from the peanut gallery.

Value Bumps: Week 10

Week 10 was a pretty good week for me, as I was very busy celebrating an awesome day by my favorite team and my favorite players. There were quite a few happenings, so Ill get started right away.

Adrian Peterson

I gotta say, he is living up to that built up price from last year. I thought it was virtually impossible after the end of the last season, but he is holding, and that is fucking crazy. Another beast of a game, and a little something that we havent seen on a Vikings team in a while - a guy who wants the ball on the last drive of the game. Man, he was fired up, and it was a beautiful thing to watch the team march down the field on his back. One of my favorite Peterson games of all time.

BUMP: UP

Kevin Smith

Plays for the worst team in the league and possibly history, and he still puts up 96 and a TD in a blowout. I think if he had a better offense to work with, he could be a lot like Chris Johnson, but alas, he didn’t. I give him a bump because for the price you can pick his stuff up for, it’s a deal.

BUMP: UP

Chris Johnson

Dude, wow, that game sucked for you. Holy crap, you were stuffed or losing yards on every play, and the Bears made you look silly. Bad form, baaaaaaad form. I would hope that you would still be a contender for RC of the Year, but I think another person has taken that from you for sure. Better step it up next week or this could be bad.

BUMP: DOWN

Matty "Ice" Ryan

The kid looks great. I cant fucking believe it. Another game, another win against a "good" team. I would say pick up his stuff if you havent already, but I think its starting to get out of control. If you can afford the coin, he will get a huge bump when he is named ROY.

BUMP: UP

Ladanian Tomlinson

He could be the biggest fantasy disappointment of the year, and I feel bad for anyone that drafted him. The chargers have not been that good, and they only won the game because the Chiefs went for 2 as a 1-7 team with nothing to lose. I cant say enough good things about him in the past, but this year he doesn’t have it. Still, you may want to pick up some of his shit while its down, because it wont be there for long.

BUMP: DOWN

Brandon Jacobs

Another beast of a game for him, shit if I know where he came from. He did amazing against a great team, ANNNND it was on a national stage, so you can bet your ass he is getting a bump. I think he is heading for a probowl, and it makes me sad that I sold his auto /5 for like 10 bucks last year.

BUMP: UP

Eddie Royal

Holy shit, he had a huge ass game. I think he may be the steal of the draft already, but I think he still has a way to go. If you see some of the catches that Calvin Johnson makes off shitty ass throws, you can imagine why he went in the top of the draft and Royal didn’t. That doesn’t mean much this season, but it may in the future. Still, he gets another bump.

BUMP: UP

Jay Cutler

Huge game, and I still think he deserves a lot of credit for playing the way he has being a new Diabetic. He is an ass in every sense of the word, but he should definitely be on your buy list, playing the way he has.

BUMP: UP

Maurice Jones-Drew

3 TDs? That’s a good game even when you play the Lions. Welcome back.

BUMP: UP

Matt Schaub

If you are still holding his shit after he signed with the Texans, a bad season, and a really bad season, you are an idiot. Jesus.

BUMP: DOWN

Larry Johnson

Your team is down to Savage and Charles for RBs you stupid asshole. I hope you see now that you don’t need to be a douchebag to be good in the NFL.

BUMP EMERITUS: DOWN

Possible Bumps for Next Week:

Adrian Peterson: If he can hit 5 in a row for 100 yard games, that is huge
Jonathan Stewart: A game against the Lions is always good.
Jay Cutler: Huge game against the falcons
Matt Ryan: Huge game against the Broncos