1st Annual World Series Contest Rehash

I know I already made a hasty post on Friday night after the Cardinals won the 107th World Series, but lets rehash the whole thing for posterity and for something to do.

OK. Well we had a fairly good turn out, not as good as I'd had hoped, but 21 ain't too bad. I suppose if I'd had made you all pimp it for extra entries or something I might have gotten more, but I don't care.  I simply asked which team would win the World Series.  Then I asked for the opponent, number of games in the series and total home runs for the series (both teams combined) for tie breakers.  And like I said before we didn't need to go to the tie breakers because only one intrepid blogger picked the right team.

Here's what you were playing for

Five nice, but not spectacular, vintage 1960 Topps Baseball cards and a stack of cards from your favorite team.

Here are the 21 original entries if you don't remember what you picked.

Play at the Plate - Rangers over Phillies in 6. 13 Homers.

Sports Card Blog - Tigers over Brewers in 6. 13 Homers.

Eric L. - Tigers over Phillies in 7. 15 Homers.

 The Lost Collector - Yankees over Phillies in 6. 8 Homers.

Dfwbuck2 - Tigers over Phillies in 7. 11 Homers.

Night owl - Rangers over Brewers in 6. 7 Homers.

Spankee - Phillies over Rays in 5. 5 homers.

Greg Zakwin - Phillies over Yankees in 6. 5 Homers.

Cardanathema - Phillies over Tigers in 6.  7 Homers.

The Dimwit - Phillies over Tigers in 6.  9 Homers.

Paul - Yankees over Brewers in 6.  11 Homers

Josh D. - Phillies over Yankees in 6.  8  Homers.

Matt - Phillies over Rangers in 6. 6 Homers.

Potch - Tigers over Phillies in 7.  9 Homers.

Dan - Yankees over Phillies in 6.  8 Homers.

Piratesfan731 - Diamondbacks over Yankees in 6.  8 Homers.

Stealing Home - Phillies over Rays in 6. 11 Homers.

Robert - Tigers over Phillies in 7.  11 Homers

Colbey - Cardinals over Tigers in 5.  7 Homers

Steve D.  - Phillies over Yankees in 5. 6 Homers

AdamE - Tigers over Phillies in 5.  7 Homers

Of those 21 only 3 made it to the final round.

Play at the Plate - Rangers over Phillies in 6. 13 Homers.
Night owl - Rangers over Brewers in 6. 7 Homers.
Colbey - Cardinals over Tigers in 5. 7 Homers

The official winning guess would have been this one with all tie breakers correct.

Cardinals over Rangers in 7. 17 Home Runs.

And of course only Colbey from Cardboard Collections picked the right team.


I just got the last address I need from Brian over at Play at the Plate.  I decided to give the other two finalists a nice stack of their favorite team as well.  So all the prizes should go out tomorrow or Wednesday. 


Thanks again everybody who participated and congrats to Colbey.

Cynicalbuddha's Top 100 #35

The second of my 3 Sterling Quad autos of Mr. Yount and yes all three are going to be on the Top 100.  It's nice that all these cards are numbered only to 10, it's not so nice that Topps put out 1000's of different cards though, or so it seemed.  Still the scan doesn't do this card justice.  2008 was a banner year for this Yount collector with tons of cards issued of the Hall of Famer.  I'm slowly running out of variety in my collection and soon it's probably only going to be sweet cards from my PC's and Team collections like this one.  But for now...

#35 on the Top 100

2008 Topps Sterling Robin Yount Quad Relic Auto 4SMA-186 #d 01/10

Winner Winner chicken Dinner!!! the Almost easiest World Series Contest on the Web has a winner!!!

It came down to 7 games.  We had 3 make it to the finals.  I asked you who would win.  Then asked for the opponent, number of games in the series and the total number of home runs (combine for both teams).

Well it didn't come to any of the tie breakers after all and Colbey from Cardboard Collections takes it all!!! Congrats Colbey I have those vintage cards coming your way and a nice stack of Braves cards and probably a few Panthers as well.  I have the Night Owl's address but if Play at the Plate will shoot me an email with his address I have some conciliation prizes for you guys. 

I'm kinda bummed the Rangers didn't pull it out, but I'm even more bummed my Brewers didn't.

So thanks to everybody who played and stay tuned for my next contest.

Almost the Easiest World Series Contest on the Web ain't over yet!!

Woh boy.  I really thought I'd be announcing the winner of my first annual World Series contest.  Man that was a crazy game 6.  I really can't wait for tonight.  I mean not being invested in either team lets me just enjoy the game and even though I'm rooting for the Rangers, that Cardinals double comeback in  extra innings win was pretty awesome.  That being said I'll announce the winner of the contest this weekend sometime.  I've got a Halloween party to recover from Sunday.  And my Packers are on their bye weeks so I'll be sleeping in. Football starts at 9 sharp in the last frontier.

So here are our three finalist again.  If the Rangers win it's going to come down to HR's between the Night Owl and Play at the Plate and at last count I do believe there were 14 total HR's.  I could be wrong, I'll look up the final stats after the game tonight.  But with that being said it's pretty much a two person team between Colbey and Play at the Plate.  Sorry Night owl.  I've already started gathering some Rangers and Braves cards up for the possible winners and I have a feeling I'll be sending out goodies to all three of our finalists.  So thanks for playing, thanks for reading and go Brewers, damn.




Our Finalist and their guesses
Play at the Plate - Rangers over Phillies in 6. 13 Homers.
Night owl - Rangers over Brewers in 6. 7 Homers.
Colbey - Cardinals over Tigers in 5. 7 Homers

Cynicalbuddha's Top 100 #34

Another Reggie Triple Threads makes it's appearance on the Top 100.  This is a great triple relic featuring Reggie in 3 of his 4 team uni's. And of course it's low numbered. It would be nice to think that each relic corresponds to the right team, but of course with Topps we know better.

Number 34 on the Top 100

2009 Topps Triple Threads #TTRC-37 Reggie Jackson Triple Relic #d 18/18.

Cynicalbuddha's Top 100 #33

If you didn't already know I loved Topps T206.  Especially the original 2002 offering.  I opened a lot of this stuff and pulled some great cards.  I got a Joe Mauer Rookie Auto, buybacks, and some great classic player relics like this one.  

Number 33 on the Top 100

2002 Topps T206 Jimmy Collins Bat Relic.

Sorry the pictures so fuzzy and scratched that's from the screw down holder.

Cynicalbuddha's Top 100 #32

I picked this up a few weeks ago for a fraction of what I thought it was worth.  Right place, right time I guess.  I featured it over at my Rollie Fingers blog, but this card is just too awesome not to add my Top 100 and the sooner the better.

#32  on the Top 100

2011 Topps Triple Threads Rollie Fingers Unity Patch Relic Card TTUSR-33 Numbered 1/3!

cb out

Cynicalbuddha's Top 100 #31

Going back to the well of 2005 UD MLB Artifacts. I pulled some lovely stuff out of this.  I wouldn't mind ripping into a box if I could find it cheap enough.  And while this patch is kinda plain, it still features one of the greats.  And numbered as well.

#32 on the Top 100

2005 Upper Deck MLB Artifacts Frank Robinson

MLB-FR #d 262/325.

cb out

Cynicalbuddha's Top 100 #30

Man in 2009 I lucked out. I pulled 3 or 4 Red Hot Rookie redemptions and then Topps announced that 10% of Gordon Beckham's cards would be autos.  I rushed to my computer and submitted the RHR redemption card that I knew was a Beckham and sure enough I scored an auto!!  Then I waited, a long time.  And finally got this bad boy in the mail.  And I should have put this up on ebay the moment I got it, but I didn't.   These were pulling in a 100 bucks easy back then, now who knows, but it's an awesome card.

cb out

Cynicalbuddha's Top 100 #29

I really love this card.  Maybe it's because I got it cheap, maybe it's because it's got Princy on there, maybe it because it's a rookie auto.  I was just window shopping one day on ebay and came across this card, ended up bidding on it and stealing it.  It also helped I picked this up off season.  Whatever the reason my one and only Prince Fielder auto is in the Top 100.

#29 on the Top 100

2006 Upper Deck Ultimate Ensemble UES3-SJF Prince Fielder, Chris Shelton, and Mike Jacobs Triple Auto card #d 46/50

Cynicalbuddha's Top 100 #28

Remember when Carnell "Cadillac" Williams was the toast of the rookies in 2005?  I really wish I was selling on ebay back then and got rid of this baby.  It's a pretty awesome card none the less.  I was always hoping that Williams would take off, but unfortunately he never really did. Anywho...

#28 on the Top 100

2005 Donruss Elite Carnell "Cadillac" Williams #118 Die cut Gold Parallel Numbered 12/24

My Brewers Team set Need list!!!

I'm a sad, sad baseball fan.  My team got so close and then fell apart. But I do love baseball and the World Series starts here in a few hours so I'm looking forward to that.  This post is just a quick plug for any traders out there that have some misc. Brewers commons laying around that you want to get rid of.  I decided a while back to organize my Brewers collections and start putting together team sets from all the major issues.  I've been keeping a needs list over at my Brewers Blog:  Miles From Miller, but seeing that this blog gets 1000 times more views than that one I decided to move my wants and needs over to this blog.  I also moved my Packers needs over here too.  My main goal, ultimately is to put together a team set from ever major issue ever. And while in the long run that's totally doable, to some extent, in the short term it's not.  So I've set some  goals.  My first main goal is to get my Topps Flagship sets done.  I'm slowly working my way through my cards.  I've collected quite a bit and part of my collection in still buried at my parents house over 2500 miles away.  I've been adding to the needs list as I work my way through.  So if a set doesn't have any needs or isn't labeled as Complete it just means I haven't worked through it yet.  Anything marked in red means I've either ordered it or traded for it but haven't gotten it yet.  Once I get cards sorted into the collection I remove them so if a set has listings, those are the only ones I need.

Back to my main goals. Like I said my main goal is Topps Flagship.  I'm close to finishing off the 70's and with COMC's Black Friday shipping deal coming up I'm going to probably try to take care of the rest of my needs in the 70's.  The 80's and 90's are coming together and so is the more recent releases.  Next I'll focus on the Fleer, Donruss, Score, Pacific, and Upper Deck flagships.  I've been recently going through a huge Brewers common lot I bought last year and have worked out most of the first decade of Upper Deck.  Then when I finally get all those done I'll start working on the ancillary issues from all the card companies.  It's good to set goals.  I've been using the resources of Teamsets4U and Trading Card Database to put together my team set lists.  The needs list is a little clunky as Blogger seems to get persnickety with you try to do a lot of  editing in it.  

Anyways this is just a heads up to anyone looking to trade.  I also have quite a stock of stuff from recent years and even some stuff as far back as the mid 80's.  So if anyone's looking for team cards from any of the old school breaks I did a while back or has a want list from some recent baseball or football let me know.  I'm always looking to help out and I keep my needs list pretty up to day with the sets I'm building.

Alright enough chatter, enjoy game one everybody. I'm pulling for the Rangers myself, still bitter toward the red birds.

Cynicalbuddha's Top 100 #27

I'm not sure how many of you ever buy anything off of eTopps.  I've been picking up IPO's for about 7 years.  Sadly rarely do the cards keep their value from their initial offer price, but they are some nice cards.  In 2008 Topps offered a Yankee Stadium Tribute set on eTopps.  You had to buy the whole set that was something like a hundred bucks or so, but then you could part it out.  That's where this Reggie came from.  Someone parted it out. I actually got this one in hand and for fairly cheap considering how much you had to put down to get the set.  And of course it's numbered and super shiny.  And encased, hence why the scan is a little blurry.

#27 on the Top 100

2008 eTopps Yankee Stadium Tribute Reggie Jackson #d 0877/1499 (in hand)

cb out

Cynicalbuddha's Top 100 #26

I remember waiting and waiting to try and get this card.  I knew it existed, but none ever appeared on ebay.  Well  one eventually did and I snagged it.  The rarest of the mini parallels, except I guess for the printing plates.  The scan does not do this card justice and hand numbered to boot.

#26 on the Top 100.

2009 Goodwin Champions Rollie Fingers Magician Back #17 Mini Parallel #d 3/8

cb out

And then there were 3 - Almost the Easiest World Series Contest Update

I am so unbelievably pissed right now on how bad the Brewers went out.  Not only tonight's game but the last game in St. Louis.  Ah, breath.  But with the Red Birds taking the NLCS we are down to 3 contestants and there will be a winner!!!!

Here are the final three.  Congrats guys.  While no one will win with the first tie breaker and if the Rangers take it we have to go to total homers and if the Cards keep it up Colbey will take it all!!


Play at the Plate - Rangers over Phillies in 6. 13 Homers.
Night owl - Rangers over Brewers in 6. 7 Homers.
Colbey - Cardinals over Tigers in 5. 7 Homers

With that said on to the World Series!!!!!

Cynicalbuddha's Top 100 #25

I honestly don't remember where I got this out of.  Possibly Series 2 or Update Baseball last year.

I probably should have sold this off last year, but the logoman cards are just so cool.  I also pulled a Mauer Logoman out of a 2010 Finest box.  I ended up selling that one right away seeing as everything Mauer was still pretty hot early last year.

So number 25 on the top 100 is a 2010 Topps Whitey Ford Logoman Patch card LM29 numbered 37/50.

Some more box labels. Heritage and Chrome.

A few more box labels for ya all.  I'm going back and making a few more for my own use and as I do I'm trying to hit some cheaper issues that would almost certainly be stored in a box.  I've also decided to maybe make up some binder labels for those cards that beg to be displaced in 9 pockets like Ginter and Chrome and some of the higher end products.

I'll add them to my new stand alone page for archival purposes. Tell all your friends!!!

CB out.

Cynicalbuddha's Top 100 #24

Wait what is that??!!??  That's not a sports card.  Nope it's a custom card done of one of my comic characters.  Way back in April I did a trade with Jeremy from No One's Going to Read this Blog. He hasn't posted in a while.  You can read my post here.  He sent me some goodies and said he like the my comics I had posted over at the 13 Tenets.  You can read the comic here.

Anyways I was really impressed it's a great card of the Atomic Hotdog.  I'd never actually colored my comics, I prefer to work in black and white, but I have to say it's spot on.   He's just an all beef frank with the power of the atom!  (Registered and trademarked).

Number 24 on the Top 100

Custom of the Atomic Hotdog from Jeremy @ No one's going to read this blog. Numbered 1/1.

2011 Topps Update Box label and others.

I know a lot of set builders out there like to put there sets in 9 pockets and binders.  That's cool, but I don't have the room for that kinda storage.  So I put the cards in an old fashion cardboard card box.  I try to get the right size for the job.  You have to be careful and take into consideration card thickness with set size.  Up into 2008 Topps was including box label stickers with there flagship sets in Baseball and Football, both Topps and Bowman.  It was great for set builders like me who hand collate and store the set in a box.  Well Topps stopped doing it and I had to start making my own.  My first attempts were pretty lame. With me just either writing on the box itself, which looks unsightly with my awful handwriting or I'd type something up in Word and print it out and tape it on.  I tried to get as creative as possible, but some were much better than others.  Now that I have fairly decent photo editing software I'm trying to incorporate box design into the label as much as possible.  I also decided I'd like to share them with you if your looking for a label for you set.  I've been buying lots of vintage bad wax and putting cheap sets together so those box labels will be there too.  I'm going to add a nice stand alone page dedicated to the box labels.  So check it out.  And if you have any suggestions of things you'd like to see let me know. I can whip them out fairly quick if I can find a good scan or have one saved somewhere.  I might also offer a couple so you can have some variety.

What I do is for my labels is.. I have a Word document that I put six 2 inch by 3 inch boxes on the page.  Then I use the fill object function with the label I've made.  I usually do front and back label so it doesn't matter which way I put the box back on the shelf.

Here we have my new 2011 Topps Update box label.

I've done a little photoshopping to it. But it's basically the box top cropped.  You can see the box bends in the  photo sorry.  

Next we have 2011 Topps Football

With Dirty Sanchez

2010 National Chicle

2010 T206

2010 Magic. You can also replace the 2010 with 2009 if you need a 2009 box label.  This is probably one set I would love to put in a binder.  The card art is just so awesome.

92 Stadium Club Baseball

95 Select.  yeah not one of my best.

This years opening day box label.

I had a great 2011 Allen and Ginter box label but I can't find it and I might have, gasp, deleted it.

cb out

2011 Topps Jumbo Box Break Number 2

As promised I picked up my second box of Topps Update Jumbos.

The first box yielded some great stuff and a full set, so I was happy with that.  This box wasn't as good as the first, but still not terrible.  No damaged cards, which is a big plus, and all my hits were there, so I was very happy. No Hope Diamond parallel in this one but I did get some nice variations.

First the relic and leather nameplate.

I have to say I really like the look of these All Star Relic cards.  Very classy.  I know I have at least 3 Brewers I need to pick up.  

Rookie Zack Britton.  I'm still disappointed with these cards.  I think Topps could have done so much better than they did here.  

I also got 50 cognac diamonds.  I noticed that the first box all my cognac where either update or Series 2. This box they were all update or Series 1.  Nobody really awesome except for this one variation.

This is actually a Series 1 Variation. 

See here's the back.

My one update variation is this nice Tris Speaker in an Indians uniform.

I seem to pull a lot of Tris Speaker stuff for some reason.

I also pulled a Platinum Diamond Variation.  You might know this guy, but not the uniform.

What??!!?? You say Ty Cobb in an Athletics uniform? Blasphemy!!  Well he did play his last two years with the A's. Look it says so right on the back

I also got one Black with is seems to be the going rate of 1 per jumbo.

But by far the best hit was the autograph.  

I got another great Next 60 auto.

Not too shabby!!!