You’d think I was a Cubs fan …

Judging by some of my recent purchases, you’d probably think I was a Cubs fan. I didn’t plan this, but as you can see from the images below, nine of the last ten cards added to my collection are autographs of players featured as Cubs. Last week I was watching MLB Network’s “30 Clubs in [...]

Continue reading about You’d think I was a Cubs fan … »

I don’t do a lot of basketball, but when I do, I prefer an affordable price point. NBA HOOPS?! I remember buying this brand when I was a kid.  The design was simple and the price was cheap.  And its back again with those same two concepts, and more. I’ve been toying with the idea [...]

Continue reading about Props to Panini: NBA Hoops is solid »

By now you know that the 2012 base Topps set features a super short print card of Angels’ first baseman Albert Pujols.  It is the first card to feature Pujols in an Angels uniform, even though Panini America released a card of Pujols in its 2011 Elite Extra Edition that lists him as playing for [...]

Continue reading about Topps puts collectors in an interesting situation for Pujols’ Angels cards »

For more than a decade, Topps has been creating the Topps Heritage brand under the idea of releasing today’s stars using designs from yesteryear. The set was a hit when it hit shelves in 2001 and continues to be to this day.  People love the designs, the short prints, the notion of authenticity as it [...]

Continue reading about An idea to recreate buzz for Topps Heritage »

Continue reading about “Old Habits” By Cardboard Icons »

I’m bored. The 2012 baseball season has not even begun, but I am already bored with the current selection of baseball cards.  Well, that’s probably because as I write this the only one on the market is 2012 Topps Baseball. Actually, I take that back.  2011 Panini Contenders baseball is also out, but the boxes [...]

Continue reading about Bored? Try a 30-year-old rack pack »

Waiting on a 2011 Bowman Sterling Manny Banuelos auto via redemption? They’ve begun to be shipped via the Topps redemption fulfillment center.  I received mine on Monday.

Continue reading about Waiting on Banuelos Bowman Sterling Auto? They’ve been shipped. »

So about a week and a half ago I tweeted this picture seconds after exiting one of my local thrift stores.  At that time I located a bag full of “vintage” cards, the years obviously consisting of 1975 to 1980.  Was it a “true” vintage find?  I guess that is up for debate. But what’s [...]

Continue reading about Thrift Treasures XLI: 30 year old rookie extravaganza »

Quick mid-week Thrift Treasures post. Popped into one of the thrift stores on my way home today and found something that made me laugh. It’s a silver Oakland Athletics belt buckle. But if you look close enough, you’ll see it’s not just any A’s belt buckle.  It’s a NICK SWISHER Oakland A’s Belt Buckle!!! Who [...]

Continue reading about Thrift Treasures XL: Nick Swisher holding up your pants »

The other morning before work I spent five minutes browsing eBay at 5 a.m., something I had not done in quite a while.  And what I stumbled upon was a sweet auction containing rookie cards of brothers Jim Perry and Gaylord Perry. Jim was a pretty decent pitcher in his day, but he was not [...]

Continue reading about A package of brotherly love »

I know what you’re thinking: “Oh, no he didn’t just drop a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle reference on a baseball card blog.” You bet your ass I did. The turtles are back!  Well, in my collection anyway. I made some thrift store rounds earlier this week, and if you follow me on Twitter, you know [...]

Continue reading about Thrift Treasures XXXIX: T-U-R-T-L-E Power! »

This is THE Diamond Giveaway Haul post I’ve been waiting to post. Over the 10 months I’ve been somewhat busy on the Topps Diamond Giveaway site.  During that time I’d acquired more than 60 rookie cards for my collection as well as some nice Die Cuts. I’d already taken delivery of two shipments, all of [...]

Continue reading about Topps Diamond Giveaway Haul #3: Now with Die Cuts! »

Three quarters of a year ago, I ran to my local card shop and purchased the latest and greatest product: 2011 Bowman Platinum. Hot off the heels of the Bowman (with Bowman Chrome) release, the Platinum product offered signatures of the biggest up-and-coming prospects including Wonderboy Bryce Harper. Well, there was no Harper auto in [...]

Continue reading about Let’s Go Streaking! 8 Months Later, Manny Machado has arrived … »

Continue reading about Gary Carter 1954 – 2012 »

I’ve got a few hundred 2012 Topps baseball commons sitting here on the desk and they need to go. Working on a set? Let me help you finish that! Leave a comment below, shoot me an e-mail at cardboardicons(@)yahoo.com, or contact me on twitter. What am I seeking in return? Any extra sparkle parallels or [...]

Continue reading about Let me fill your 2012 Topps baseball set needs »

I like to show off my cards from time to time.  You know that.  I show them off because these are not cards you typically see on other blogs. I show them off because I am proud to own them.  I show them off because I’m hoping to turn some of you onto some of [...]

Continue reading about Cardboard Icon: 1909-1911 T206 Polar Bear Back Walter Johnson »

Way back in 1995, Roy Halladay was an 18-year-old pitching stud that only a few people knew about.  He was not featured on his first Major League card until 1997 (Bowman, Bowman Chrome, and Bowman’s Best).  But when he was just a teen, he had a few cards featuring him in his minor league uniform.  [...]

Continue reading about Don’t let this happen to you »

There is something I simply do not understand about the current state of the hobby.  The notion that things some how were better before than they are now. It’s simply not true. I’ve heard people bash 2012 Topps for the last week or so, citing the recently released Skip Shumaker/Rally Squirrel short print as the [...]

Continue reading about Backlash for 2012 Topps is not warranted »

For about as long as I can remember, there has been a story of Babe Ruth calling his shot during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series. We’ve all seen the questionable grainy black and white footage, game film that has been debated for years. Some say Ruth was merely pointing to the Cubs bench [...]

Continue reading about Did Babe Ruth really call his shot? The answer might be in the cards. »

Somewhere in the history of card collecting, a great myth arose:  The harder the case, the better protection for your cards. It’s a simplistic way to look at things.  I mean in theory it sounds like it should work.  A 1-inch thick lucite case should better protect you against common dropage than a card saver [...]

Continue reading about Thrift Treasures XXXVIII: Plastic Card Coffin »

I bought a few packs of 2011 Bowman Draft at Target a few days ago and came across this Salvador Perez rookie card.  While sitting at a red light, I started thumbing through some of the base cards and reading the “Up Close” portion of cards. There are a few I want to point out [...]

Continue reading about Card of the Day: 2011 Bowman Draft Salvador Perez rookie card »

As sad as the Josh Hamilton story is … it’s kind of refreshing. Listen, I’m no proponent of alcohol or substance abuse.  In fact, I downright loathe both.  But the one thing that I continuously take away from the stories about Josh Hamilton and his “demons” is that he is human; that ball players are [...]

Continue reading about As sad as the Josh Hamilton story is … »

So in the recent Beckett Sports Card Monthly, my tale about the thrift store find of a lifetime was chronicled on Page 34.  The story recounts my find of a game-used Earl Weaver 1977 home Baltimore Orioles jersey in a California thrift store. As luck would have it, I found another baseball item a few [...]

Continue reading about Thrift Treasures XXXVII: What the heck, Eck?! »

There’s been a fair amount of recent buzz surrounding the Topps Value Boxes, which have been on Target and WalMart shelves for months.  The chatter lately has been about the boxes possibly being loaded. There have been reports of big name superfractors coming from the Bowman Chrome hobby packs embedded within these boxes.  This news [...]

Continue reading about Putting the “loaded” Topps Value Box theory to the test »

Some time late last season, 2011 Bowman Chrome baseball was released.  And as usual, I bought a fair share.  I failed to pull any of the super high dollar cards, but I did get a few cards I liked, like the green XFractor Brett Lawrie and the 2001 Bowman Chrome Throwbacks Bryce Harper. Well, when [...]

Continue reading about A stunning statistic about my 2011 Bowman Chrome pulls »

It’s been a long time since Bay Area football has been this good. For about a decade, football fans in the San Francisco Bay Area have been subjected to sub-par football on both sides of the Bay in the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders. Raiders fans have been Raider fans.  Every year calling [...]

Continue reading about Let’s Go Niners! Let’s Go Niners! »

I was clicking around my favorite site on the ‘Net the other day and came across one of the coolest cards I’ve seen in a long time.  I figured it was nice enough to share with all of you. Check out this 2006-07 Topps Full Court Dennis Rodman Photographer’s Proof card. I don’t do much [...]

Continue reading about Dennis Rodman as Superman »

I’m a treasure hunter. I dig through the shelves and racks at thrift stores, garage sales and the like looking for something that I can keep for myself or flip for something awesome for my baseball card collection. One day this summer I discovered a game-used jersey belonging to Hall of Fame Baltimore Orioles manager [...]

Continue reading about Thrift Treasures XXXVI: The Duke of Earl »

Continue reading about A rainbow of meaningless Bryce Harper Chrome Refractors »

What’s wrong with this picture? There was a time when hobbyists clamored over errors and oddities among baseball cards.  Wrong name, no name, missing logos, etc.  People loved them. Now?  Not so much. If you haven’t figured out what make’s this 2003 Ultimate Collection Signatures Gary Carter a Horrible Card it’s the fact that the [...]

Continue reading about Horrible Card of the Day Part V: 2003 Ultimate Collection Signatures Gary Carter »

Interesting news broke Friday night when the Yankees and Mariners swapped a couple of youngsters including headliners Michael Pineda and Jesus Montero. There was a lot of card action on both sides.  TONS of people swooped in on Pineda rookies and rookie-year autos while the groans of many invested in Montero could be heard across [...]

Continue reading about Flipping Michael Pineda for … Pineda and more. »

Yesterday I made fun of my recently acquired 1952 Topps Hoyt Wilhelm, calling it the ugliest $1,000 book value rookie card I’ve ever seen. I mean seriously, a high-dollar rookie card showing a guy with his eyes closed? Ugh … And then a commenter reminded me of this ugliness. Floating heads galore! Make no bones [...]

Continue reading about OK, Maybe THIS is the ugliest $1,000 rookie card? »

It’s not easy being an extreme rookie card collector. It’s a lot of fun chasing rookies of big names like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, as well as guys you may have not heard of like Chip Lang.  But every once in a while you find a rookie card that is essential to your collection [...]

Continue reading about The ugliest $1,000 rookie card? »

This is one of those cards that just spoke to me. It yelled, grabbing my attention when I was looking for something youthful and shiny to buy. It said, “Hey, Dummy, why are you going to drop that $10 bill on that unproven youngster when you can have the real deal right here.” And I [...]

Continue reading about Card of the Day: 1951 Bowman Bill Dickey »

It seems like every time I write these days, my posts have some sort of connection to CheckOutMyCards.com. You’re probably tired of hearing about it, and I get that.  But if you use the site like I do, you’d probably be screaming about your personal collection additions too. Take this 2000 Upper Deck Piece of [...]

Continue reading about COMC yields another beauty for the personal collection »