Fruits of my "labor"

Back in January at The White Plains Show, i handed PSA a "bulk order" for grading purposes. Today i received my grades! i am very pleased with the results. Those of you that have read my blog will recognize some of the cards as they were pulled over the course of the last few months :)

1 1 19924515 MINT 9 1990 BOWMAN 382 GEORGE BRETT Card A friend of mine gave me this card, so i subbed it
2 1 19924516 MINT 9 1993 PINNACLE 131 GEORGE BRETT Card Pack pulled by myself this winter
3 1 19924517 NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1993 PINNACLE 294 GEORGE BRETT Card Pack pulled by me this winter
4 1 19924518 MINT 9 1991 MOO TOWN SNACKERS 19 GEORGE BRETT Card A friend of mine gave me this card
5 1 19924519 NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1993 OMAHA ROYALS 25th ANNIVERSARY TEAM GEORGE BRETT A friend of mine gave me this card. i THINK its the first to be graded as i do not see it in the pop report
6 1 19924520 MINT 9 1986 FLEER ALL-STARS 3 GEORGE BRETT Card Purchased Raw at White Plains Show
7 1 19924521 MINT 9 1993 STUDIO 25 GEORGE BRETT Card Pack pulled by myself this winter
8 1 19924522 NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1993 STUDIO HERITAGE 1 GEORGE BRETT Card Pack pulled by myself this winter
9 1 19924523 NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1994 DONRUSS ANNIVERSARY 3 GEORGE BRETT Card Purchased Raw at White Plains Show
10 1 19924524 MINT 9 1992 DONRUSS 143 GEORGE BRETT CardPack pulled by myself this winter
11 1 19924525 EXCELLENT-MINT 6 1991 DONRUSS HIGHLIGHTS BC-19 GEORGE BRETT CardPack pulled by myself this winter
12 1 19924526 GEM MINT 10 1987 LEAF 122 MIKE SCHMIDT Card Pack pulled by myself at the hotel room at last years National
13 1 19924527 MINT 9 1988 SPORTFLICS 35 MIKE SCHMIDT Card All Sportflics in this submission were from factory set breaks
14 1 19924528 MINT 9 1987 SPORTFLICS 30 MIKE SCHMIDT Card
15 1 19924529 GEM MINT 10 1986 SPORTFLICS 44 MIKE SCHMIDT Card
16 1 19924530 MINT 9 1989 SPORTFLICS 21 MIKE SCHMIDT Card
17 1 19924531 GEM MINT 10 1988 SPORTFLICS 28 GARY CARTER Card
18 1 19924532 GEM MINT 10 1987 SPORTFLICS 133 KEITH HERNANDEZ Card
19 1 19924533 GEM MINT 10 1988 SPORTFLICS 31 KEITH HERNANDEZ Card
20 1 19924534 MINT 9 1986 SPORTFLICS 91 GRAIG NETTLES Card
21 1 19924535 NEAR MINT-MINT+ 8.5 1991 DONRUSS ELITE 2 GEORGE BRETT Card eBay purchase. LOVE this card, tough to grade
22 1 19924536 NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1986 SPORTFLICS 1 GEORGE BRETT Card
23 1 19924537 GEM MINT 10 1988 SPORTFLICS 150 GEORGE BRETT Card
24 1 19924538 GEM MINT 10 1989 SPORTFLICS 64 GEORGE BRETT Card
25 1 19924539 GEM MINT 10 1990 SPORTFLICS 214 GEORGE BRETT Card
26 1 19924540 MINT 9 1988 CLASSIC TRAVEL UPDATE II 248 GEORGE BRETT UPDATE II-BLUE Card broke a set for this card
27 1 19924541 GEM MINT 10 1989 O-PEE-CHEE STICKERS 1 GEORGE BRETT R.DARLING-100/M.BARRETT-257 Card eBay purchase
28 1 19924542 NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1985 TOPPS STICKERS 268 GEORGE BRETT CardeBay purchase
29 1 19924543 MINT 9 1985 TOPPS STICKERS 188 GEORGE BRETT FOIL CardeBay purchase
30 1 19924544 MINT 9 1992 DONRUSS TRIPLE PLAY 115 GEORGE BRETT Card Pack pulled by me this winter
31 1 19924545 MINT 9 1993 FLEER FINAL EDITION DIAMOND TRIBUTE 2 GEORGE BRETT Card broke a set for this card
32 1 19924546 GEM MINT 10 1993 LEAF HEADING FOR THE HALL 7 GEORGE BRETT Card Pack pulled by me this winter
33 1 19924547 GEM MINT 10 1993 LEAF 146 GEORGE BRETT Card Pack pulled by me this winter
34 1 19924548 MINT 9 1992 STADIUM CLUB MEMBERS ONLY GEORGE BRETT MEMBERS ONLY Card A friend of mine gave me this card
35 1 19924549 GEM MINT 10 1992 STADIUM CLUB MEMBERS ONLY GEORGE BRETT MEMBERS ONLY-3,000 HITS Card A friend of mine gave me this card
36 1 19924550 MINT 9 1993 UPPER DECK ON DECK D6 GEORGE BRETT Card A friend of mine gave me this card
37 1 19924551 NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1993 UPPER DECK SEASON HIGHLIGHTS HI7 GEORGE BRETT Card A friend of mine gave me this card
38 1 19924552 NEAR MINT-MINT+ 8.5 1992 UPPER DECK FANFEST ALL-STAR GAME 16 GEORGE BRETT GOLD Card COMC purchase
39 1 19924553 NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1994 UPPER DECK ALL-TIME HEROES 20 GEORGE BRETT 125th ANNIVERSARY Card Purchased Raw at White Plains Show
40 1 19924554 GEM MINT 10 1994 TOPPS PRE-PRODUCTION 397 GEORGE BRETT VERTICAL Card Raw eBay purchase
41 1 19924555 MINT 9 1992 SCORE 489 GARY CARTER Card broke a set for this card
42 1 19924556 GEM MINT 10 1991 SCORE TRADED 26T GARY CARTER Card broke a set for this card
43 1 19924557 GEM MINT 10 1986 LEAF 63 GARY CARTER Card Pack pulled by myself at the hotel room at last years National
44 1 19924558 GEM MINT 10 1990 UPPER DECK 777 KEITH HERNANDEZ Card broke a set for this card
45 1 19924559 MINT 9 1990 TOPPS TRADED TIFFANY 39T KEITH HERNANDEZ Card broke a set for this card, first one graded
46 1 19924560 GEM MINT 10 1991 SCORE 89 KEITH HERNANDEZ Card broke a set for this card
47 1 19924561 GEM MINT 10 1989 TOPPS SENIOR LEAGUE 25 GRAIG NETTLES Card broke a set for this card, first one graded
48 1 19924562 NEAR MINT 7 1977 BURGER KING YANKEES 2 THURMAN MUNSON Card eBay pickup
49 1 19924563 MINT 9 1991 STUDIO 182 GARY CARTER Card Pack pulled by myself this winter
50 1 19924564 MINT 9 1991 STUDIO 62 GEORGE BRETT Card Pack pulled by myself this winter
51 1 19924565 GEM MINT 10 2002 FINEST 14 DEREK JETER Card Purchased Raw at White Plains Show
52 1 19924566 NEAR MINT-MINT+ 8.5 1996 STADIUM CLUB 123 DEREK JETER Card Purchased Raw at White Plains Show
53 1 19924567 MINT 9 2003 ULTRA 2 DEREK JETER Card Purchased Raw at White Plains Show
54 1 19924568 GEM MINT 10 2005 DONRUSS 269 DEREK JETER Card Purchased Raw at White Plains Show
55 1 19924569 MINT 9 1998 DONRUSS 100 DEREK JETER Card Purchased Raw at White Plains Show
56 1 19924570 MINT 9 1998 SCORE 22 DEREK JETER Card Purchased Raw at White Plains Show
57 1 19924571 NEAR MINT-MINT 8 1999 FLEER VINTAGE 61 5 DEREK JETER Purchased Raw at White Plains Show

1991 Upper Deck Low Wax Box Rip

1991 Upper Deck Low Wax Box Rip

i picked this box up a few months ago at a show for $10. Cheap wax is just too good to pass up at shows!

This was Upper Decks first baseball release for the 1991 season. After the huge success of their 1990 "High Number" Series
that featured randomly inserted Non and Autographed "Heroes" cards of Reggie Jackson, they continued the same subset
in this release featuring Nolan Ryan in both signed, and unsigned copies of "Heroes" cards

The box was an OK time to open. i dont like how Upper Deck had the cards in a mish-mosh order in the packs. Cards upside down,
mixed with backwards, and correct leads to a frustrating pack ripping experience.

i did not score a Nolan Ryan Auto (as they are approximately 1:10,000 (yes, ten THOUSAND) packs.



Here are some of the better cards that were in the box:





i did enjoy taking a stroll down memory lane as i did open my share of these back in 1991

Thanks for the read,
Eric
ThoseBackPages

2000 Topps Series Two Jumbo Wax Rip

Picked up this box from www.bbcexchange.com
Cost $19 for 12 packs of 40 cards.



Came with a "Jumbo" box topper to boot!



The packs suffered from some "stickage" for being enclosed for 12 years i suppose.

Here are the "hits"




Overall it was an "OK" break. Perhaps do to a smaller(er) base set, there was a lot of repetition of names, and the pack sequence was also repetitive, cutting into the "fun factor" of ripping this box. But for $19, i cannot really complain.

Thanks for the read,
Eric
ThoseBackPages

Is Derek Jeter the last ...

Legendary Home Grown Yankee?

Yes, i am a Mets fan. No, unlike a lot of my friends, i do not hate the Yankees. When i was a kid, the Yankees sucked. It was that fairly small time when living in New York City meant Mets Baseball. Life was good.

But that's a story that ive told before, probably more then once.

Anywho. Topic at hand.

When i was a little kid, a few things really stick out from that time period.

Elvis dying. My Mother and her best friend were huge fans, i remember how upset they were.

John Lennon Murdered. My Father is a huge Beatles fan, so therefore so am i.

Thurman Munson dying. im a Mets fan, but remember how sad people around me were when he died.

Thurman Munson started his Yankees Career in 1969, the year after Mickey Mantle hung 'em up. Mantle replaced Joe D, the lineage goes back through the Yankees History.

After Munson died, the Yankees were without a mega-home grown star until 1982 when Mattingly was given a cup of coffee.

Mattingly carried the torch from then until Derek Jeter took hold of it.

That was 1995

1995 was 17 years ago (wow. think about that for a minute my fellow over 40ers)'

ive been a baseball fan since 1978. Yes i love the Mets, but i love Baseball.

Derek Jeter is a touch more then 3 years younger then i am. His best days are behind him on the diamond. Nothing wrong with that, we all get old.

But heres the thing, whos going to take the torch from him?

Some say Cano. But Cano turns 30 this year and has much to accomplish to be the next in the LONG line of home grown Yankee Greats. i dont think he can do it, to quote Yoda "He's too old"

for the last few years i was sold that Jesus Montero was going to be the one, the "savior" so to speak that would keep the lineage alive. Well, he was traded this winter. So no Jesus Saves will be occuring in the bronx.

Its strange to say it, but i think we're entering a time period that is not very familiar to anyone that has followed baseball for a long period of time. A time of the Yankees not having that home grown superstar.

Rolling back the years ... 1998 Ultra 2 Wax Rip!

i decided to break away from what i normally rip. i wanted to open something cheap with long odds of possibly hitting a "hit" card.

This Retail Box of 1998 Ultra Series 2 fit the bill. Cost: $11

20 packs per box, 7 cards per pack ...


Inserts in Ultra Packs have been "one per" since back in 1993 i think it was.



Piazza Insert in a Malrins Uniform! NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE!

The "Top 30" Inserts are one per pack, a Retail exclusive

This box certainly did NOT disappoint...



and of course, the base cards are shinny and glossy!



This box was an absolute BLAST to open! Inserts in every pack and fantastic base card photos in every pack!

At just over 50 cents a pack, this was a really fun rip.

i cannot recommend this box enough. its very refreshing to rip something this old, have some nice looking cards, and have fun while doing so!

Thanks for the read,
Eric
ThoseBackPages

2012 Topps Target Rip!!!

Well, like any good addict, i had to get my 2012 Topps Flagship Fix On, now didnt i? lol



My first pack of 2012 cards:



It was a small rip and i liked it. The card stock seems to be better then last years. The pictures also seem to be crisper. i didnt land any of the "cool" gimmick cards, but that isnt all that surprising for me, now is it? lol

Here are what they call "The Hits"



the '87 minis are cool. i really like the "Heritage" like card stock they used on the. also, hellova lotta yankees in there!

Thanks For The Read,
Eric
ThoseBackPages

P.S. 2012 Topps Heritage Next month!! woot woot!!!

"2011 Topps Value Box" Rip

Today wasnt a particularly good day. i didnt sleep well last night. my hands and feet are pretty cold right now, i better test my sugars... ok, yep, just as i thought, a tad low, 68

anywho, Was at Target this afternoon and they had one of these on the shelf:



from pretty much everything ive read, they are supposed to be "loaded"
Five packs of Topps Update, one pack of Bowman Chrome "(Hobby) and one faust Bryce Harper refractor of three possible colors.

My Harper Refractor was the "regular" one as far as i can tell.

My Bowman Chrome pack did have an auto in it:

too bad he's 26 years old this month lol

First pack of Topps Update was cool ...



only one additional code card. heres the group picture ...



So there you have it. More crap i dont need :)

THANKS TOPPS!

It's been two years since my diagnosis

hard to imagine its been two years since i was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. still hard to type that out. each day is a daily struggle. some days are better then others.

i am fortunate (i suppose?) that i have what they call strong will power. i do not eat what i am not supposed to. i saw a picture of Paula Dean eating a rather large cheeseburger with bun and fries. i dont think i could eat that if you paid me to. strange to read i know, especially if youve know me for a period of time, back from my old life.

not sure there is much to this particular posting, but i felt like typing something about my two year "anniversary"

1/20/12 - White Plains Show Recap

This weekend there was a show in White Plains. The Show runs today through Sunday. The "big draw" for this show is a fairly rare signing appearance by Mike Pizza tomorrow. Also, PSA was accepting submissions.

Being that i had cards to hand into to PSA i was planning on attending. Then when they announced that Piazza would be signing, i figured the dealer turnout would be strong. Well, i was wrong! lol

The show was lacking in the dealer department. i wonder if the impending "snow storm" had anything to do with it. Oh well, that happens and i was not going to let it get me down. i love going to shows and can occupy my time there in different ways.

This show was about looking for some raw stuff to hand in with the order that i was giving to PSA anyway. i spent most of my time at the show looking for raw cards to submit, and then looking some more, and some more. i came away with seven additional cards, and a lot more respect for those that self-submit. Its this happening at shows that makes me more and more happy to buy already graded (when available that is)

My first stop was at the dealer that has a "$1 table". His stuff rarely dissapoints, and today was pretty good at his table:







Then is was time to seach for some "junk wax" Surprisingly there was a LOT less available then there is normally. that was a bummer. i did pick these up:



I was able to pick up just three slabs on the day. The usual PSA dealers werent there, and the ones that had PSA for sale had them priced pretty high.

Overall i wish there was more to report about this show. Of course i had a good time, but it could/should have been a lot better.

Thanks for the read,
Eric
ThoseBackPages

Ripping for George Brett Submissions - 1991 Studio Wax Box

Welcome to my latest installment of "Ripping for George Brett Submissions"

1991 Donruss Studio. 48 Packs. $10 from www.bbcexchange.com




These cards are in pretty rough shape right outta the pack. thin paper stock and rough condition is going to make grading these fair tough it would seem. my box had two Bretts in it, one has a shot at a 9 the other one does not. Thems the breaks.




i had a good time ripping this box, and at the price point its tough to beat!

on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being Best) i give this rip: 8

Until Next Time,
Eric
ThoseBackPages

Cold, Crisp Day. Clear Skies ... and here's that "Rainy Day"

Just wasnt having a good day today. So in an attempt to make me feel better, i decided it was time to rip my vintage stash of O-Pee-Chee Baseball Wax Packs



so i lined them up as pictured above. Today i opened 1977 to 1981. i will open 1983 to 1986 another day.

i will let the scans do the talking...



























Some winners, some not-so-winners.

it was nice to have HOF power in each pack of the '77s (even if two of the packs ran the same sequence). Typical of O-Pee-Chee, CENTERING was literally all over the place within each pack. crazy to thumb through a pack and see the drastic shift in centering from card to card.

i was hoping to pull some cards to hand in at the show this Friday. i MIGHT sub the Brett, but struck out on Schmidt Nettles Munson Keith Hernandez Gary Carter Reggie Jackson and Tom Seaver

Still was a rush to open wax from all those years ago

Them's the breaks or so they say.

Ripping for George Brett Submissions: 1976 OPC Wax Pack x 2!

The last two packs of '76 O-Pee-Chee Baseball Wax that remain in my inventory.

Cost: $29/each from www.bbcexchange.com



Well, i had a good feeling going into these packs, and decided tonight to rip 'em both!




Whoopsie! LOL well ok, i was wrong. it happens. i saw the Yankees Catcher card and bam, wrong catcher! it's in good shape too, would have been a Munson worth submitting.

The first pack even had an additional card in it, still no dice. No worries though, opening wax packs that are 36 years old is quite a rush indeed. I think that going forward i will stick to ripping '77 and newer wax because the sets are about half the size of its Topps counterpart (whereas most of the other 70s issues are identical in size). Also, the price point is about half as well.

Thanks for the read everyone,
Eric
ThoseBackPages