I'm not sure how many of you are as eager about April 14th as myself and Junior Junkie are, but that is the date MST3K returns to Netflix via a crowd funded production. I watch the hell out of the shows on YouTube (they are real easy to find), and you honestly need to watch one if you haven't. Manos is a classic, as is Mitchell. I really like Space Mutiny. Personally, my favorite is not a movie but the short Mr. B Natural. The upcoming Netflix series looks very promising, so I should finish up season 2 of The Man in the High Castle before the 14th rolls around.
PACKARD WINS THE SUPER BOWL!
But when new stuff appears on Netflix, old stuff rolls off. And this month. it's Firefly. Firefly has been a mainstay on Netflix for what seems a year now, but they are pulling it off April 1st. If you haven't watched it yet (and what the hell is wrong with you if you haven't), get on it. Or you can borrow my DVDs. As I have showcased in the past, Upper Deck put out a set for the show in 2015 - Firefly: The 'Verse. I have been about a dozen cards short of the set, and the boxes are on clearance over at DA Card World. Why not rip another, eh? You should get 3 hits from a box: an actor autograph, a manu-patch and usually an artist autograph.
I was able to complete the set with this box, so it's gone from my Want list. That is a very, very good thing. For those that cannot remember, here's a few of the cards I needed to finish the base set.
I particularly like the bottom card of Inara smacking Mal across the face. These three showcase the nice range of artists and styles that appear in the set. I got my fair share of serieled inserts (4) and green foil parallels (a dozen I think). But the hits. That's what you all care about. So enough dilly dallying. I am to misbehave.
The artist autograph is on a matte finish copy of a card they drew. Not a 1/1 sketch, just a card without the heavy shine. The artist is David Hindelang, who has done a lot of fine work for Iconograph Studios. The actor autograph is Isabella Hoffman, who played Regan Tam, the mother of River and Simon Tam who hide out on Serenity from the Alliance.
Box #3 ended up with 5 total hits, and I could not be happier. The manu-patch is of Preacher Book (RIP Ron Glass). It's ok - no biggie. Love the 1/1 sketch of Serenity mechanic Kaylee. I have a huge crush on Jewel (who doesn't), so this is a nice addition to the other sketch card I have of Mal. This sketch is unique, though - the card is specific that it would be a sketch of Kaylee - the artist did not write that in, and the numbering on the back is different from a standard 1/1. The artist is Scott Zirkel, who does art in his spare time according to his website. Some really nice work he did for the set, and hey - my card is at the lower left!!! Last is my 2nd printing plate, this of Inara getting the upper hand on Saffron.
Nice to have the base set complete. Now I don't have to get another box.
With the Uber driving, I was able to build up some funds for me to spend on Black Friday. While I did go through and load up my COMC shopping cart, I never pulled the trigger on any of the cards. I don't know - I just wasn't feeling like some of the cards were that great of a deal. But I always had my eye on some boxes. When all was said and done, I bought 4 boxes to rip from BF deals.
* box of 2016-17 Upper Deck hockey series 1 from my LCS
* box of 2015 Upper Deck Firefly:The 'Verse from Dave and Adams.
* box of 2012 Panini Golden Age from Steel City Collectibles
* box of 2013 Panini Golden Age from Steel City Collectibles
Did you mean how'd I do? Like were the boxes good and did I get nice hits? That's what you meant, right?
Let's start with the UD hockey. No, I did not pull the Auston Matthews Young Gun. Boo! But I did nab that card about an hour ago with a blaster, so I am happy. The box was a great start at building the set. I did pull on gold exclusive and one Clear Cut acetate card.
Not huge names. I also pulled a relic from my box.
I know someone with "too many" cards that will be receiving this soon.
Next up let's look at the 2012 Golden Age. I have talked of my love of this set, if only for the 3 years it existed. But since Panini killed it, we can get over run with football and baseketball releases that all look the same, so yay 'Merica.
I pulled one of the felt pennant box toppers of Citation. This was the first pack I ripped from either box, and probably a foreshadowing. You are guaranteed one relic and one auto in a box.
I nice Yankee jersey swatch from Sweet Lou, and the name Jean Cruguet may not be a household name, but on Seattle Slew he brought in the first undefeated Triple Crown horse across the finish line.
Let's jump to the Firefly box, because while I have a tough time picking which box was better, I am going to believe many will pick the 2013 Golden Age with the best hits. This is my 2nd box of Firefly, and I was not able to complete the set. Which just means I have to buy a third! You get 3 hits per box: one manu relic and usually 2 autos - one of an actor and one of an artist. I beat the odds big time.
That's my manu relic. It's ok. At least it's different than the first box. I think these fake relics suck, so let's move on.
Nice grouping here, with a 1/1 sketch card of Mel done by John Sloboda, and a reprint card (a card drawn by the artist printed with a matte finish) autographed by Karen Hallion. John autographed the back of the sketch card too. All the artist did great work in this set, so it's nice to add their autographs.
Three leather cards in a box. I just showed them off to remind people that the woman on the right is a younger Christina Hendricks.
You like my excuses....
No huge pull on the actor autograph, pulling Edward Atterton. But if I ever go for master set, I have it crossed off the list. And btw, that's 4 hits, and there was one more to be found.
It's the blue plate on the left. I matched the card with it so you can see the full image it builds. Five hits in total in the box. And here's the interesting thing: if this was an open box in a store, if you pulled the correct stack of packs, you would have yanked the entire box. All five hits came from the same stack (upper left if I recall).
Ok - 2013 Golden Age. I completed the base of all three years, but at $25 (for 2012) and $30 (for 2013) a box, I could not pass up the deal. Plus all the inserts and minis. Some folks gamble on $300 boxes. I do the same at 1/10th the cost.
Back to the horses with the Exhibit style box topper. Steve Cauthen is a little better known, riding Affirmed to the Triple Crown in 1978 at the tender age of 18, the youngest Triple Crown jockey ever.
And some monster hits with the relic and autograph. Nice leather swatch from a glove of Gene Tunney. It feels super soft. In the pack before I snagged the Berra auto, I pulled a Berra mini and commented "Pulling this signature would not be bad at all". Then boom.
Good times from this year's Black Friday. There will be Golden Age and Firefly cards available in the upcoming Tis The Season IV. Yes - that will be starting very soon. Be ready! Oh - and one last thing from the Firefly box.
When I did my recap of 2015, I realize I never mentioned what I would consider as my pull of the year. With all the cardboard I ripped, what ranked at the top of the list of my big hits? The problem with the hit of the year is what to do with it. Yeah - there is the obvious - sell it. But how? We'll talk in a bit about that, but first, let's have a story:
Not the time you were stationed in Hanoi again....
I stop by my LCS in early October. Heritage High Number was just released as well as Chrome was in the store. I stopped in for some ripping, looking to yank out the Bryants in the sets so I can make money on those ebay fools (you know who you are). I decided on 9 packs - 3 Heritage, 3 Chrome and 3 Bowman. I announced to Chris I was pulling Bryant autos from all three sets.
I didn't.
But that's not to say I didn't do well. The Bowmans were a total bust, but the 2nd pack of Heritage High and the first pack of Chrome did yield me that dude the northsiders seem to think will save the world.
Bryant-wise, I only care about Stadium Club for the set build. I didn't build Heritage (ugly) and I never build Chrome. But to have these two come out was nice. My hope was to regain some of the cost via ebay, but the cards bottomed out, so I ended up never even listing them.
Anyhow, as I mentioned the first pack of Chrome had the Bryant you see. I flipped it over to Chris on the other side of the display case as he had not seen the card yet. As I collected it back to slide the 4 cards back into the wrapper, I noticed the card that was just behind the Bryant. As you know, in the 2015 flagship, Topps put out a Gallery of Greats insert set. They continued that set in Chrome. The Pujols Chrome GoG I pulled didn't catch my eye well as the Bryant card that fell out, but the light of the store caught the card a little better heading back into the foil wrapper.
What refractor is that? And then I did a double take. What serial is that?
Yup. Super refractor. It's a 30 card insert set. The Super refractors fall 1:28,138 packs. Odds wise, this is a bigger pull than my Gretzky auto. For safety sake, I got it graded.
So now the dilemma: when to sell? I would love to get the cash I am able as soon as possible, but in the same regard, I wonder if cards have a "season" on ebay. Would I be better served holding this until April or May? Or does each passing day potentially lose me greenbacks? It's a star player, and I'm certain there are plenty of Pujols collectors out there that would like this card.
Opinions? The floor is open. And no Gavin - I am not randomizing this.
The end has arrived. I had a blast sorting and showing off the generosity of Wes over these past 10 days, and we have reached the pinnacle of the gifts, even though there are no Pinnacles in this scan. Without further delay, let's show off the super rare and unique cards Wes included, and the cryptic statement on the side of the box will finally be understood.
I pulled a card similar to this out of a blaster of 2014 Heritage. But that is numbered to 50, and it's not a White Sox. This 2011 GQ release is numbered to 10, and a team I collect, which combined together makes for a sweet addition.
The start of the 1/1s. Yes - I said "start", implying plural. I have only one other sketch card in my collection, and I pulled that from a pack of Star Wars Galaxy. Such a unique collectable. Tempy Moore has a lot of talent, so it's a nice addition to my binder.
I have pulled two plates in my life. First was a Verlander Bowman, which I sent to Hot Corner Cards. Second is a autographed Bowman Chrome Johnny Field I currently have on Ebay. At this time of typing, there are no bids, so if someone wants to trade me for it, email me quickly and I'll pull it down. But back to this plate. It's a fine replacement for that Field I am looking to send out of 2x3 headquarters.
Sticking with yellow, but moving to the 206 release. I like how these mini plates are framed. While I couldn't get into the main 206 cards, I should consider the minis. I think they work nicer as a set.
Third and final plate is this cyan from the 2013 Topps minis. It's a DP turn too. Oh, the dilemma of what binder to store this in.
However, here comes the big hit of the box, and for a nerd like me, something that brings me back to being 13.
I've done some amazing things in my Star Wars "career". I've hung out and drank with Chewie. took part in two charitable movie premiers, meet plenty of the actors from the movies - this is a great addition to my SW collection. When I opened the mini box, I saw the thickness of this card and knew it was the one item that Wes felt would be the biggest gift to me out of all the cards he sent, and he wasn't wrong.
Again, and I may have said it too much, but not enough - thanks for your generous heart, Wes.
