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June Contest: Question 2

on June 6th, 2011 by Play at the Plate

If you missed out on the first question or the explanation for the June contest, please go here.If not, then you know what to do. Ok, that was kind of mean wasn’t it? I’ll give another brief explanation.The June contest consists of 6 questions, the fir…

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Box Break: 2010 Bowman Chrome

on May 27th, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

I was in Seattle for the Mariners opening series of the year (things have certainly turned around since then) and stopped by the Card Exchange to try my luck with a box of cards. The prices there were great (right around Blowout’s prices) and I eventua…

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Card of the Week: 2001 Upper Deck Pinstripe Exclusives Joe Dimaggio/Ken Griffey Jr. Dual Jersey #20/50

on May 2nd, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

I don’t really know what I can say about this card other than that it will never be leaving my possession. I don’t just mean I won’t ever sell it; I mean that I will take it with me everywhere I go. I was thrilled to pick up this amazing card for a son…

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Card of the Week: 2010 Bowman Draft Stephen Strasburg RC Auto Variation #62/99

on March 21st, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

This card is my first and likely last foray into the world of Strasmania. I bought this card as redemption a few months ago in the hopes that the live card would be shortprinted. Sure enough, only 99 of the variation autos were produced, and demand sp…

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Box Break: 2009 UD Signature Stars

on March 15th, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

Retail stores (in this case Shopko) carrying hobby boxes could prove to be the death of my bank account. I got another box of 2009 UD Signature Stars as a birthday present to myself and although it looked bleak heading into the last few packs, it turne…

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Happy Ken Griffey Jr’s Jersey Number Day!

on March 12th, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

In honor of of the incredible accomplishment that is my 24th birthday (I think I’m being sarcastic, but I’m not sure) I proudly present some of my favorite cards of the greatest #24 ever (yes I know he isn’t wearing #24 in all of thse cards, deal with …

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Card of the Week: 2002 Bowman Toby Hall Future’s Game MVP Game-Used Base Autograph

on March 11th, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

I didn’t envision a day when I would feature Toby Hall as the card of the week, but I also didn’t imagine I would find a Toby Hall card quite as cool as this one, for as cheap as I got it ($3 including shipping). The card features an on-card autograph…

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Box Break: 2009 Bowman Chrome (x4)

on March 3rd, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

Tax season is a great time for those of us who don’t make much money (cough Bud cough). The government sent me a decent chunk of change for my year of not making much money and I decided the most American thing to do with my new found wealth would be t…

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Card of the Week: 2004 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Super Patch Name Plate SP/15

on March 2nd, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

I won this beauty in a hotly contested auction on eBay last week and couldn’t wait to show it off. There’s quite a few nice Griffey patches on eBay, but the majority of them are set at ridiculously high Buy It Nows, so I wasn’t about to let this one g…

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First Day Issue’s eBay Adventures & Exploits: #1

on February 20th, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

I won everything in this lot for $11 DLVD (the auction was merely titled 6 game-used baseball jerseys) which is a steal considering that it contains two PC players (Ichiro and J.J.) plus a Ginter auto (which always look great) and an SP two-colored re…

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Card of the Week: 2005 Donruss Leather & Lumber Jamie Moyer Auto #10/100

on February 16th, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

Although the sticker on this card can be seen from space, the card still holds a special place in my heart. Not only is an auto of one of the M’s best pitchers and baseball’s classiest guys (can’t wait for his comeback in 2012) but to top it all off I …

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Triple Rainbow: 2009 BDPP Michael Saunders

on February 14th, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

Alright there’s only one rainbow to show off today but this is my third in the past few months so deal with it. I’ve been working on this particular rainbow for about six months and had managed to track down everything except for the x-fractor, which w…

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Box Break: 2009 UD Signature Stars (Hobby)

on February 13th, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

I found this box at a local Shopko for $59.99 (not terrible considering Blowout Cards has the boxes for $45-50) and bought it on a whim after getting some good news. I wasn’t expecting much from the box with it being one of Upper Deck’s last baseball p…

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Pack Attack: 2011 Topps Retail (x12)

on February 6th, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

Everyone has seen 2011 Topps ad nauseum so I’ll just show the highlights from the first batch of packs I grabbed: Rick Ankiel Gold Parallel #392/2011: Can’t complain about pulling a parallel of a PC player even if I’m not a huge fan of the photo. I’m h…

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It’s not like you’re going anywhere

on February 1st, 2011 by night owl

Perhaps you’ve heard.The country’s having a snowstorm.I know. Snow in February. Who thinks up these things?I have to work. So, I’ll be out in the oh my GOD is that SNOW? If I return — and that’s a big if because you know there is SNOW out there — I’l…

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Back in the Game: A Trade with Night Owl

on January 31st, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

It had been a very long-time since I had received a trade package in the mail so I was thrilled to find one last week from the dean of baseball card blogs, Nightowl. As always, he came through with a great mix of Mariners both old and new. Here are som…

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Box Break: 2010 Bowman Draft (Hobby)

on January 27th, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

Got this box wicked cheap on eBay (about 1/2 price) so I didn’t have very high hopes of pulling a big hit. That’s good, because this year’s BDPP is built to disappoint, and there were only two cards worth showing: Leon Landry Blue Refractor #136/199: T…

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COTW: 2010 National Chicle Whitey Ford Jersey

on January 21st, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

National Chicle was a dumpster fire for the most part (everyone remembers the Tim Wakefield “painting”) but there were a few bright spots, not the least of which was this great looking relic of Yankee’s all-time great Whitey Ford. I love that the jerse…

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Another Reason My Girlfriend is the Bee’s Knees

on January 10th, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

I was walking through Target with my girlfriend the other day and she decided to accompany me to the card aisle (she’s a good sport). I asked her to pick out a blaster of Bowman Platinum for me and she chose a winner. Here’s what I pulled: Andrew Magg…

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Box Break: 2010 Bowman Draft Hobby (x3)

on January 6th, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

I purchased three boxes of 2010 Bowman Draft from Blowout Cards with Christmas cash that I got from some relatives. I’ve had good luck in the past with this product and I was hoping it would continue with the 2010 edition. It did not. Here’s the hits: …

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First Day Issue’s Collecting Goals for 2011

on January 2nd, 2011 by Bud (First Day Issue)

1) Less retail, more hobby. I don’t even want to think how much I spent on blasters and value-packs in 2010. While I have some nice hits to show for it, hobby would have provided quite a bit more bang for the buck. I think I need to start avoiding Targ…

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First Day Issues Top 5 Pulls of 2010

on December 28th, 2010 by Bud (First Day Issue)

Two thousand and ten was a banner year for me in terms of card collecting with a bevy of big money hits and rare pulls. Of course I also spent a boatload of money, but in the end, I’d say I did pretty well. Judge for yourself:#5) 2008 Bowman Draft Gord…

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Bunch O’ Bowman Platinum (Shiny Goodness)

on December 22nd, 2010 by Bud (First Day Issue)

I won’t say exactly how much money I’ve spent on the retail variety of 2010 Bowman Platinum but I’ve been well rewarded with plenty of shine and some on-card autos of up-and-coming stars. This is an extremely feast or famine product with some blasters …

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Box Break: 2009 Bowman Chrome (Rare Hit!)

on December 21st, 2010 by Bud (First Day Issue)

This is the last of three boxes I purchased from Atlanta Sports Cards on their Black Friday sale–yes I know I’m very slow at posting. Without a doubt 2009 Bowman Chrome is my favorite product of the last few years (Ginter is of course excluded from th…

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Card of the Week: 2010 Topps Sterling Stan Musial Mystery Pack Gold #2/5

on December 20th, 2010 by Bud (First Day Issue)

Since I would never buy a box of the colossal money bonfire that is Topps Sterling (if you like 10% ROI this is your set) I had to turn to eBay to pick up this slick looking card of one of my favorite players. The gold parallel looks great in person an…

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Box Break: 2006 UD Artifacts (Not Bad)

on December 11th, 2010 by Bud (First Day Issue)

This is the second of three boxes I got from Atlanta Sports Cards on Black Friday. 2006 UD Artifacts has 3-4 hits per box in just 10 packs so there isn’t a lot of wasted base cards (which is good, because they are kind of boring). The autograph checkli…

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Double Rainbow!!

on December 11th, 2010 by Bud (First Day Issue)

Alright it’s just one rainbow but it’s my second in the past month so that’s got to count for something (so many apostrophes in that sentence). I realize that most people have never heard of Akwasi-Owusu Ansah, but since I pulled the superfractor I was…

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Box Break: 2004 Fleer Platinum Rack Pack (OUCH)

on December 8th, 2010 by Bud (First Day Issue)

This was the first of three Black Friday boxes I ordered from Atlanta Sports Cards (all for around $33 bucks) and this was by far the worst. The box was advertised as having four packs with an “Inscribed” auto in each pack. The site warned that there w…

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Pack Attack: Topps Chrome Wrapper Redemptions

on December 7th, 2010 by Bud (First Day Issue)

Here’s what Brian and I got from our wrapper left over from the box busting bonanza. I was a little disappointed we didn’t receive a Strasburg or Posey, but it was a solid group of players overall. The cards look great in person and don’t seem to have…

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Card of the Week: 2009 Topps Platinum Dwayne Bowe 3-Color Patch/Autograph #21/150

on November 29th, 2010 by Bud (First Day Issue)

I actually pulled this from a blaster of Platinum last year but didn’t post it because Dwayne Bowe was playing awful and I’m fairly lazy (at least when it comes to blogging). This season has been a completely different story as Dwayne Bowe has become a…

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A Rainbow of Griffeys on a Black Friday

on November 26th, 2010 by Bud (First Day Issue)

Yes, I realize that this is two Fridays in a row that I’ve used color(s) in the title of my post…is that a crime? Anyway, I recently finished a project I’ve been working on for close to a year–the 2008 UD Heroes Ken Griffey Jr. rainbow. It’s the fir…

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Bowman: A Colorful Cure for a Case of the Fridays

on November 20th, 2010 by Bud (First Day Issue)

In an earlier post I said I wasn’t going buy anymore 2010 Bowman Chrome but for just $8.99 those value packs are tough to say no to. I’m glad I caved–this one turned out pretty well: Armando Rodriguez Green X-Fractor RC Graham Stoneburner Green X-Fra…

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King Felix Captures the AL Cy Young Award

on November 19th, 2010 by Bud (First Day Issue)

Two thousand and ten was an absolutely terrible year to be a Mariners fan (which was compounded by the loss of Dave Niehaus). Thankfully, we got to witness brilliance every fifth day when Felix Hernandez took the mound. Despite winning only 13 games (h…

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Box Break: 2010 Topps Chrome Football (Super!)

on November 11th, 2010 by Bud (First Day Issue)

I was looking to add an inexpensive box to the order for Brian and Bud’s Box Busting Bonanza (stay tuned for the sequel sometime in the future) to get free shipping from Blowout and after some substantial hemming and hawing, decided on a box of 2010 To…

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Card of the Week: 2010 Topps Chrome Dexter “Run DMC” McCluster Rookie Autograph

on November 10th, 2010 by Bud (First Day Issue)

I’ve busted a boatload of 2010 Topps Chrome Football retail this year and done awfully well. My top pulls include a Ndamukong Suh SP Variation (sold for $16), Sam Bradford X-Fractor (sold for $11) and a Dez Bryant Orange Refractor (sold for $7) in addi…

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