Friday, September 30, 2011

It's the End of the Month, End of the Season, Blogroll Cleanup Time.

Had to make this post before October strikes. Let's see how far we get.

As the title of the post states, the baseball season is over. September is now in the books. But before we flip the calendar page to October, it's time to do the monthly maintenance on the Sports Card Blogroll.

So let's get on to business. At the beginning of the month (or after the last Blogroll clean-up post), there were 335 blogs on the active blogroll. Twelve blogs were added to the roll in September to bring the total up to 347 (we're almost at 350 folks...keep those blogs coming). But the following blogs have reached six months of inactivity, so now it is time to move them to the inactive list. Those blogs include:
Ten blogs. That brings our total down to 337 active blogs to start October. Meaning that the blog experienced a gain of +2 blogs from last month.

As always, if you, or someone you know, has or plans on starting a Sports Card Blog, in any sport, please e-mail me at bdj610@hotmail.com so I can add it onto the active roster. If you are the writer of any of the above blogs, or any other blog that hasn't been updated for more than six months and you plan on writing again, please let me know too. The more voices, the more knowledge we can share about this great Hobby.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

P.S. I just noticed one particular blog that hasn't been updated in five months. If that blog reaches six months by the end of October, the Hall of Fame section in the blogroll will have a new member. Whose blog is it? Let's just say that this blog was one of the pioneers and most popular blogs of the time. And the writer was a big help to me when I first started. jba

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Pack Break Week 2: 2011 Topps Gypsy Queen


More than two weeks ago, I bought six random packs at Target, hoping to have another Pack Break Week celebration before the end of the season.  Unfortunately, circumstances beyond my control forced what was supposed to be a one week adventure into a three week disaster.  Am I disappointed?  Yeah.  Only because it means, once again, that I failed to finish something that I either promised to have done by a certain time, or because what I thought would be a great idea became a challenge when actually applying it to this humble little blog.

But no more.

With the 2011 season now over, it is time to refocus.  And it is time to actually deliver on the promises.  (I better, otherwise, this blog will just nosedive into insignificance and irrelevance).

So let's (finally) conclude Pack Break Week with the final pack of the bunch, 2011 Topps Gypsy Queen.

Reaching into the history of trading cards once again, Topps re-introduced the Gypsy Queen, a product from the 1800's, to 21st century collectors.  Many of the original photos from the original set came from the same photographer as those used in another legendary set, Old Judge.  But the Gypsy Queen in today's product actually included "Gypsy Queens," to go with cards of our baseball heroes. Some called it a gimmick.  I call it genius. But they short printed the Queens, so getting one in my pack most likely was not going to be in the cards (ha ha ha).
Here is what was waiting for me when I opened my pack of 2011 Gypsy Queen:


The cards that came out of the pack are (in the order of how they were packaged):

  • #64 Josh Hamilton
  • #221 Martin Prado
  • #244 Scott Kazmir
  • #SF14 Alcides Esobar Sticky Fingers
  • #320 Dexter Fowler Mini Card
  • One Thick blank filler card (had hoped for a relic, this must be Topps effort to thwart pack searchers)
  • #HH24 Rogers Hornsby Home Run Heroes
  • Checklist 4 of 4


Some quick thoughts.  If Escobar is supposed to have sticky fingers (I'm guessing for defensive prowess), why does it look like he missed the ball?  Other than that, it's a decent pack.  It would be one that would make me want to buy more. But at this point, I think I'll wait for set prices to go down.
So finally, Pack Week 2 ends.  Just like our MLB season.  Tomorrow, I will start the process of naming players to my 2011 End of the Year All-Star Teams.  A number of obvious names, and maybe some surprises, will fill out both 36-man rosters.  But before I get to that, I have to (finally) show the results of the 2010 All-Star Game simulations. 

Once again, I have to make good on these things.  Maybe one day, I'll get back to the Randomizer and the Archives project. 

Better sooner than later.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

RE: And Then There Were Eight...

What a wild finish!!! Any doubt that the Wild Card Experiment was a bad idea went away last night as four teams had to fight for the right to get the final two spots.  We can talk about chokes, collapses, and conspiracies all year long.  The fact remains that the season is now over for 22 teams and the remaining eight are moving on to the postseason.  There will be a new champion as the defending WS champs are taking the rest of the year off.  But the AL team in last year's World Series is back and can't wait to get started.
 
The Playoff fields are now been set and once again, there will not be a game 163 played.

So for the NL, you have:



  • the Philadelphia Phillies, who've won the NL East division for the fifth consecutive year,
  • the Milwaukee Brewers, who've won their first NL Central EVER (and their first division crown of any sort since 1982),
  • the Arizona Diamondbacks, who've returned to the playoffs after two consecutive fifth place finishes in the NL West, and
  • the Wild Card winners, the St. Louis Cardinals, who overcame an 8.5 game deficit in the WC standings to win the right to play in the postseason.

The AL has these four teams going into the postseason:
  • the New York Yankees, last year's Wild Card team, now AL East champ,
  • the Detroit Tigers, the first team to punch their tickets to the playoffs,
  • the Texas Rangers, last year's AL Champions and the team to beat,
  • and the Tampa Bay Rays, the AL Wild Card winners, who overcame a 9 game deficit in the WC standings and made it in the most dramatic fashion.
 
May the best team win.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Pack Break Week 2: 2011 Topps Series 2


So last week, I decided to go ahead and open one pack of cards that I bought last weekend at Target. Yesterday, I opened another pack of Topps Attax. Today, it's time to open a pack the franchise, the eponymous product, the reason why we all collect, 2011 Topps Baseball Series 2.

Since 1993, Topps Series 2 has given us a taste of what the Topps Traded/Updates and Highlights/Update Series would have looked like if they just saved the pictures of players in new uniforms for the end of the year set. Series 2 just doesn't seem to get as much press as the much heralded first series.  Of course, every one looks forward to Series 1 to whet their appetite for the upcoming season.  And no other product is excruciatingly put through the wringer as Series 1 is in terms of its design.  But regardless, while series 1 is greeted with high anticipation, series 2 doesn't get much respect. The feeling with series 2 is, "What took you this long???"  But series 2 adds on to the greatness of series 1 in a way that the Update series can't.  I mean, with series 2, you get the full set.  The factory sets only contain series 1 and 2, not 3 nor Update.  Just the 660 cards that make up the flagship product.  This is Topps' bread and butter, so to speak (I mean, they have a thriving candy business to boot), by which all future card products are judged.

Well, if by judging, I just hope that history doesn't use this pack as evidence.

Here is what was waiting for me when I opened my pack of 2011 Series 2:



The cards that came out of the pack are (in the order of how they were packaged):

  • #347 Dawin Barney
  • #344 Michael Kohn
  • #431 Marcos Mateo (two Cubs...YES)
  • #383 Ryan Ludwick Diamond Parallel
  • #DS-24 Ryan Braun Diamond Stars (Shiny)
  • #468 Chone Figgins


  • #657 Nick Blackburn
  • #397 Sean Rodriguez
  • #493 Ryan Sweeney
  • Two Security Tags...Wait...WHAT??!


That's right.  Not just one of those security tag things on a card (to prevent shoplifting)...

BUT TWO!!!

That mean my pack of 12 cards realistically held 9 cards and TWO SECURITY TAGS!!!  That's 11 pieces of cardboard total.  So, what am I missing?  One card or three?  Not too happy with this pack. The only two things that are keeping me from screaming at Target and/or the Topps Company at this point are these:
  • I already have a complete set of this series.
  • I just prevented some poor kid from buying a pack of cards that was totally shorted.  Perhaps the pack that I could have bought that is now in the hands of this child was the first pack of cards his or her mom allowed her child to buy.  And that pack contains cards that will excite and amaze, and even make the child want more. 
I could call Topps' customer service number (at 800-489-9149) to complain, but it's the weekend.  They're not going to open.  And by the time Monday comes, I would have already forgotten about this fiasco.  Until then, allow me to brood and be disappointed...

Okay, over it.

The next pack to be opened will be the pack of Gypsy Queen.  Will I be blessed with a good pack, or cursed with a bad one?  Only the Gypsy Queens know. 

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Pack Break Week 2: 2011 Topps Attax

We now return to Pack Break Week. Thanks for your patience.


So last week, I decided to go ahead and open one pack of cards that I bought last weekend at Target. Las Thursday, I opened my first pack of Topps Lineage.  Today, it's time to open a pack of 2011 Topps Attax.

Ah yes, Topps Attax.  For the third straight year, Topps put out a card game for kids to play.  This product does not count towards MLB Properties 17-product quota.  It's a simple game really, it puts Pack Wars in a baseball game-type setting.  Higher number between batter vs. pitcher determines if a run "scores" or if the batter is out.  Most runs after "three innings" (or all nine batter cards are used once), wins. 

But this year, Topps added a bunch of extra features and conditions so that the Attax game can be played a bit more like a real baseball game.  It's got strategy, it's got drama...it's got mascots (woo hoo).  The more complex rules can be found in every starter kit of Topps Attax (still available at your local big box store).

Okay, back to the break.  Here is what was waiting for me when I opened my pack of 2011 Topps Attax:



The cards that came out of the pack are (in the order of how they were packaged):

  • #165 Nick Markakis
  • #76 Drew Stubbs
  • #25 Bobby Abreu
  • #66 David Ortiz
  • #177 Ricky Romero
  • #117 Jonathan Papelbon


  • #213 Dinger (Rockies Mascot) Refractor???
  • #112 Joe Mauer
  • #47 Chase Headley
  • #167 Omar Infante
  • #124 Josh Hamilton
  • #41 Carlos Peña


My thoughts. It's a decent booster pack.  Dinger gives the batter a +10 boost when "entering the ballpark" (whatever that means).  The diamond theme is prevalent as there are diamonds at the bottom right corner of every card (I think depending on the gem, it determines rarity...not sure).  Got a Cub (Peña), so I'm thrilled.  I have to, eventually, sort out what I actually have and then decide if I want to go for it (a complete set) or not.

The pack also came with a checklist or all 258 cards (206 players, 25 mascots, and 27 stadiums). A couple of questions.  The checklist does not name every mascot (like Dinger, or Billy the Marlin).  Was Topps not allowed to include the names of the Athletics, Blue Jays, Braves, Diamondbacks, Orioles, Royals, and White Sox mascots?  And where is Lou Seal (the Giants mascot)?  I know the Cubs, Angels, Dodgers, and Yankees don't have mascots, so I'm not worried about them. But where's Rosie Red's card?

Also, there are 27 stadiums listed (the Marlins, Athletics, and Rockies parks are excluded). Progressive Field, the home of the Indians, has a card here.  So why doesn't it have a card in the 17-card retail set? 

The next pack to be opened will be the pack of Series 2.  Can't wait to see what it includes.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

We Now Return to Our Previous Programming

Sorry that Pack Break Week was cut off.  Legitimate reason for the absence this time but I won't get into it.  I just want to send a quick let whatever readers I have left know that Pack Break Week will resume this evening with the pack of 2011 Topps Attax.

Until next time.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Pack Break Week 2: 2011 Topps Lineage


So this week, I decided to go ahead and open one pack of cards that I bought last weekend at Target. Yesterday, it was the first of 16 packs of Topps Stickers.  Today, it's my first ever pack of Topps Lineage.   

The base set is fantastic, the design would have made a good base design for an eponymous Topps Baseball Card product (or even a Topps Total type set).  This set should have been retired-players only set.  But because MLB Properties won't allow for that kind of set, there is a mix of current players too. But you wouldn't know that based on the pack that I opened.  Here is what was waiting for me when I opened my pack of 2011 Topps Lineage:


The cards that came out of the pack are (in the order of how they were packaged):

  • #25 Whitey Ford
  • #16 Walter Johnson
  • #7 Mickey Mantle (did you ever doubt that #7 of ANY set would not be of the Mick?)
  • #107 Chad Billingsley Platinum Diamond (I have no idea what parallel this is...anyone???)
  • Ryan Howard Stand-Up insert (no #)
  • #182 Frank Robinson
  • #154 Fergie Jenkins (finally, a Cubs card)
  • #168 Delmon Young (the only base card of a present-day player in this pack)


My thoughts. If I had this much luck pulling retired legends out of either Topps Series 1 and 2 (for 2009, 2010, and 2011), as I did in this one pack, I'd be extremely happy.  I'm not sure what parallel the Billingsley card is.  It doesn't look like the regular diamond anniversary cards that they were mimicking from the eponymous set.  I love the design (have I said that enough).  This would make a great set builders set, if the prices for boxes weren't so darn high.  I think I'll wait for the prices of master sets to come down a bit before making a purchase.  I guess that I can't make Ryan Howard Stand-Up, can I?  Is that even allowed in today's collecting world?
That's another pack down, and three more to go. Next up, is the pack of Topps Attax. I'm not even sure what to expect here (other than more cards for the off-season Topps Attax sessions my children and I are going to have).
Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Pack Break Week 2: 2011 Topps Stickers Collecton


So this week, I decided to go ahead and open one pack of cards that I bought last weekend at Target. Yesterday, I opened a pack of 2011 Topps Allen & Ginter. Here is what was waiting for me when I opened my first pack of 2011 Topps Stickers:

The cards that came out of the pack are (in the order of how they were packaged):

  • #21 Nick Swisher (which proves that just because a sticker is in EVERY ALBUM doesn't mean that you're not going to be stuck with extras)
  • #262 Casey Blake
  • #223 Jose Tabata
  • #39 Edwin Encarnacion
  • #216 Corey Hart
  • #139/#297 St. Louis Cardinals/Chicago White Sox Logos
  • #78 Chris Getz
  • #221 Jonathan Lucroy


My thoughts. I am 7 stickers away from a complete Brewers page. Yay. I can't understand why the logo cards are numbered the way they are. Both NL and AL stickers are on the same pages (right in the middle of the album). Why the gap in numbers? I could understand if the logos were on every team's page. The fact that Swisher's sticker (say that ten times fast) was in this pack means I now have two variations of his sticker (the one with the peforations because it was in the album and one without). Bet Chris Olds is getting jealous right now.


I do have the album and 15 other packs to open. I will sort out the damages and possibly beg to trade with people to attempt a complete album soon. I will have my thoughts on the album later on too.

That's another pack down, and four more to go. Next up, is the pack of Topps Lineage. Here's hoping for a something good.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

The Return of Pack Break Week!


So last week, the family and I had to go to Target to buy stuff for the house. It had been a while since our last trip to the big box store that I thought it would be a good time to buy a few packs of cards. I bought a random pack of the following products:
  • Topps Allen & Ginter
  • Topps Stickers (actually I bought about 16 of these and one sticker album...but for the sake of the post, I'm saving one pack for this segment)
  • Topps Lineage
  • Topps Attax
  • Topps Series 2 (no Series 1 I'm afraid...maybe I'll go to Meijer and get one for kicks)
  • Topps Gypsy Queen
I never did get around to buying any Lineage cards, so this is my first pack ever. I think I'll buy a full master set on the Bay if and when prices crash. The same thing goes for Allen & Ginter (although I still am looking for a master set from 2010 too).

So this week, the goal is to open one pack a night and show off the goods. Maybe, if lucky enough, I can sucker...I mean...find someone to trade cards.

So let's get right to it. The first pack to open will be 2011 Topps Allen & Ginter.


The cards that came out of the pack are (in the order of how they were packaged):

  • #63 Neil Walker
  • #158 Billy Butler
  • #BHS-13 Baseball Highlights Sketch San Francisco Giants
  • #302 John Buck
  • #SRU5 Step Right Up The Human Cannonball Mini
  • #HH11 Hometown Heroes Jason Heyward


My thoughts...really average pack. If I didn't know what to expect from Allen & Ginter, I would have been sorely disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the Human Cannonball card is unique, and the sketch card is looks really nice up close; and nothing against Walker, Butler, and Buck, who are three really good players. But this wouldn't have the pack to convince me that this set is worth trying to attempt. Maybe the Hobby packs had better. Or even the blasters or jumbo packs. I know not to expect an auto or relic card (who knows when the store was "searched"). But for $2.99 (plus tax), I would have been wanted something more.

That's one pack down, and five more to go. Next up, is the pack of Topps Stickers. Here's hoping for a legend.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Two Thousand Nine Hundred Seventy Four...



Two thousand nine hundred seventy-four.

2,974.

That's the number of people who lost their lives when everything was finally taken into account.  Countless lives were affected by this national tragedy.  Even if you didn't know anybody on those planes, at the World Trade Center, or the Pentagon, you grieved along with those who did.  You stood there in shock, in a daze, just glued to the television or radio. 

Our lives have not been the same since.  My daughter, now eleven, asks what we (her parents) were doing that morning.  "We were just going about our lives," was my reply.  "We watched the morning news, getting ready for work, and couldn't believe what we were seeing on the screen."  She was just over a year old.  She couldn't have understood what was going on then.  But she will learn that what she sees as "normal" now, really wasn't before that Tuesday morning.

Two thousand nine hundred seventy-four.  It is the number of reasons why we never forget what happened ten years ago today.

On this day, the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, my family and I send our prayers to those who lost loved ones that Tuesday morning. 

We pray for those children who lost their parents that day. 

We pray for those children who would never meet their fathers because of the events of that day. 

We pray for the firefighters and policemen and women who risk their lives doing their jobs, running into the face of dangers as many are running in the opposite direction. 

We pray for those servicemen and women fighting for our freedoms away from home, whether or not we agree with the conflicts they battle. 

We pray for our leaders, regardless of their affiliation, that they make the right choices to keep the citizens of our country, and others, safe. 

And finally, we pray for peace.  Peace amongst ourselves as family, as a community, as a nation.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama
At 9:28 AM, Central time, one hour and forty-two minutes after American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into it, the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed to the ground.

All of this happened in the span of two hours and twelve minutes.
At 9:03 AM, Central time, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.  It was said that passengers stormed the cockpit, and that the plane landed far away from its intended target.
At 8:59 AM, Central time, only 56 minutes after Flight 175 crashed into it, the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapses.
At 8:37 AM, Central time, American Airlines Flight 77 hit the Pentagon in Washington, DC.
At 8:03 AM, Central time, United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

It Was Supposed to be a Regular Tuesday Morning...

And it was just another Tuesday morning.

Until American Airlines Flight 11 slammed into the World Trade Center's North Tower at 7:46 AM Central time.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Did Everybody Get a Good Laugh???

It seems that the scammers out in Africa have found the e-mail address that I use to send blogs when I have little to no access to blogger.  That's extremely annoying, and I am terribly sorry about that.  I guess I'm now going to have to change the e-mail address so they can't get to it. 
 
And I thought it was a private e-mail address.  I guess Google got hacked or something.
 
So to the bloggers using Google's Blogger service.  Keep an eye on your sites.  And stay relevant.  Otherwise, your site will turn into spam central (unless, of course, that is the intent of your site).

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama
 
 

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Who Wants to Be on TV? Are YOU an "Extreme" Collector???

Do you spend every free moment thinking about your collection?
Do you plan any part of your day around the Hobby?
Do you spend hours researching any aspect of your Hobby? Whether it's online, or in a book, or right in front of you?
When you travel, do you wonder if there is a store that caters to your Hobby where you are?
Do you go to the extremes when trying to find what you want to add to your collection?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you might want to stay tuned.  Because now you can share your story and your collection with the rest of the world.

Last week, I received an e-mail from a gentleman named Chris Butler,a Casting Associate for a company out in Los Angeles, CA, called Asylum Entertainment. He is looking for people who collect all sorts of things, whether it be baseball cards, comics, stamps, coins, bean bag dolls, records, etc, to excess.

See the flyer below.


In his e-mail, he states that he is "currently seeking "Extreme" Collectors that “Shop Over the Top” for their collections. I’m looking for individuals who shop all the time and to excess; an "Ultimate Shopper." This person could shop for items to complete a collection or developed collections from simply seek retail therapy. The show will explore the issues of men and women who shop beyond what most people consider normal, highlighting those with large and unique collections."

It's one thing to have a show that focuses more on the collection, and shows like the Food Network's Unwrapped has done a fantastic job with this (in the past, this show has featured collector of salt and pepper shakers, McDonald's Happy Meal toys, brand name memorabilia like Coke, etc).  But this flier had me thinking that this kind of show would be in the same vein of "Extreme Couponing" or "Extreme Sweepstakes," which focuses more on the person/people who do this.  And, quite honestly, these shows can put these people in a not necessarily positive light.  Bless their hearts that the subjects on these shows are doing something that they love, but I'm pretty sure a number of the people who watch these shows think that the subjects should be placed in an asylum somewhere or in some sort of rehab/intervention.  I had to call and find out.

I did get a chance and talk to Mr. Butler about the show's premise.  And sure enough, it is a show about the collections people accumulate over the years. But it will focus more on the person who collects to excess and how their collection affects them and their families. This is not going to be one of those shows that takes away a person's collection or tries to put the collector in some sort of intervention.  Nor is this show going to show family and friends asking and/or begging for people to stop what they're doing.  The purpose of the show isn't to make the person who collects look bad.  But it will make you think about your own collections and your personal spending habits. 

As collectors, we all go through this. Regardless of what we collect, we all do this. But have you ever considered the consequences of your actions.  Do you place any thought to your purchases, or is it a spontaneous decision, especially when the object of your desire is right there in front of you, virtually or physically?  Have you ever considered how your collection and your spending habits to feed your Hobby affects your family?  Do you even regret making purchases to add to your collection?  When it comes to Topps baseball cards, I know I have. It happens.

As we conversed, I understood where he was coming from, and said that while my collection most likely wouldn't be considered "extreme," I did know of people who had bigger collections, and that I would pass his information along.

So if you want to be on television to discuss/show off your collection, please feel free to contact Mr. Butler at the e-mail address listed on the flyer.  And if you do get in touch with him, just let him know I sent you.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Friday, September 2, 2011

Enjoyed Yesterday's Preview? Here is the Rest of the Story.




Before I begin, allow me to share with you Topps' status on Facebooktoday:

"Topps's (sic) status:

"FANTASY BASEBALL... CARDS

"If you could create your own Topps 2012 Baseball base set, who would you include?"

Well, I already sent my response:

"Every mop up reliever, third-string catcher, and all others who ride the bench/bullpen. TRANSLATION: include a full roster's worth of players on every team. Y'all do a great job including every Yankee and Red Sox player. But every team should get the same treatment. 660 cards is not enough to feature 750 players plus all the other subsets that should be in your flagship product."

Now, on to the story.

A few weeks before the official announcement of 2012 Topps was released to the masses, I thought I'd be kind of sneaky and try to find any clues as to what the set would look like. Sometimes images would be leaked out, and I thought I'd try and see if I can catch it. So off to Google land I went. Typing in "2012 Topps" in the search bar, and the images you saw yesterday (and will see below after I make a few adjustments...I just wanted to get this out on the blog now) popped up.

Needless to say I was intrigued.

Here were 12 different designs of what was being called 2012 Topps. At first, because the images were too small, I thought that some were possible insert designs (in the mode of Own the Game, or All-Stars insert sets from the past). Or perhaps these were possible base designs for future products in 2012, (like for Topps Attax, stickers, whatever). Upon further review, it turns out that these aren't from Topps.


























But what a job on some of these huh?

Anyway, I contacted the designer of the cards, and after getting his approval to display his work on the blog, I thought I'd share a bit more about the artist and his motivation behind creating these cards.

You will notice that the designer credited is artfulas. His name is Ross A. Maute, and he is a graphics designer from Oklahoma (also involved in the music industry if you google his name).And, no, he doesn't work for the ToppsCompany. He says that the actual design for 2012 Topps was "rather lackluster, especially after the 2011 design, which I really like and think is kind of classic in a modern way."He actually made more design concepts for 2012 Topps, but isn't planning on putting them on his site (see the links below).

But take a look at each of his concepts. Some, in my opinion, look a lot better than what Topps actually came out with (which again, I have nothing against, but you already know how I feel about it). But definitely check out more of Ross' work at http://www.artfulas.com/or http://www.flickr.com/photos/artfulas.

Again, none of these designs are official Topps property.

But I have a better question to respond to Topps' status for my readers? Pretty soon, I will puta poll on this humble, little blog, asking which of these, if any, you would have preferred over the official 2012 Topps design. Are any of the designs by Mr. Maute better than Topps actual design? Let me know what you think in the comments.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Okay, So If You Really, REALLY Don't Like Design for 2012 Topps...

What about any of these?




This is just a preview. There are more of these where they came from. And I will explain where they came from soon.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama