Coming Soon to a Store Near You (If You Haven't Seen Them on the Internet Yet)...2012 Topps 17-Card Team Sets.

How about that? I'm actually going to get this in on time.

Unlike last year when my source for pictures didn't have everything I needed (and thus last year's post came out until the middle of May), I have all the pictures. I have all the checklists (edited because of a number of spelling mistakes from my source). The only thing I don't have, however, are the sets themselves. The goal is to get them all before the All-Star Game rosters are announced. But until then, this will have to suffice.

For the uninitiated, here is a bit of a background behind my history with Topps Team Sets (much of this has been written before):

Since 2006, as a way to bring kids back to the Hobby, Topps began issuing Team Sets for each of the 30 MLB teams. And they could be found EVERYWHERE!!! From big box stores like Target and WalMart, to your local Supermarket, these blister packed sets contained at least 14 cards of your local team's heroes. No leafing through pack after pack to get cards of the team you root for, it's all here in easy-to-carry-to-the-register-package.

While many cards had pictures similar to those found in the 2006 base set, there were a number of cards of players who were pictured in different uniforms, had different pictures than what was used in the base set (photoshop was used in more than one instance), or players who were left of the base set included, meaning that they were only found in these retail only sets. These must have sold very well because in 2007 and 2008, these 14-card packages returned to store shelves. In 2009, a bonus 15th card was added to each of the sets. These bonus cards could have been of the stadium, the manager, the team mascot, a bonus player, or even a President or two. In 2010, two more cards were added to the blister packs, so each set contained an astounding 17 cards. In 2011, Topps introduced AL and NL All-Star Team Sets along with the 30 team sets.  Of course I had to get those as well.

For the record, I have been insane enough to buy not just one set, or even two. I have bought ALL 30 TEAM SETS for the last SIX YEARS (plus the two All-Star Sets from 2011).That's 182 team sets, roughly 2764 cards total, that I have added to my collection. What can I say, I wanted to collect them all...

I found the preliminary checklists for all these sets back in February, just in time for spring training.  However, a number of players who had found new homes before the season started weren't included.  So the original checklist that I found vanished online.  Keep in mind that the information gathered on here might not necessarily be accurate (they are of course subject to change) due to gathering this information online.  If these are the correct checklists, before this post ends, I will share some of my grievances with the checklists (if you caught me on Twitter last week, you'll get the idea of what I'm talking about).

So who's in? It makes for one of the longest posts on the blog, but it's well worth it. So here they are again, the checklists for all 30 teams.

Arizona Diamondbacks
ARZ1 Justin Upton
ARZ2 Chris Young
ARZ3 Stephen Drew
ARZ4 Lyle Overbay
ARZ5 Ryan Roberts
ARZ6 Daniel Hudson
ARZ7 Gerardo Parra
ARZ8 J.J. Putz
ARZ9 Paul Goldschmidt
ARZ10 Ian Kennedy
ARZ11 Miguel Montero
ARZ12 Willie Bloomquist
ARZ13 Jason Kubel
ARZ14 Trevor Cahill
ARZ15 Aaron Hill
ARZ16 Josh Collmenter
ARZ17 Chase Field

Atlanta Braves
ATL1 Jason Heyward
ATL2 Jonny Venters
ATL3 Martin Prado
ATL4 Tim Hudson
ATL5 Freddie Freeman
ATL6 Mike Minor
ATL7 Michael Bourn
ATL8 Dan Uggla
ATL9 Tommy Hanson
ATL10 Brandon Beachy
ATL11 Jair Jurrjens
ATL12 Chipper Jones
ATL13 Craig Kimbrel
ATL14 Eric Hinske
ATL15 Brian McCann
ATL16 Julio Teheran
ATL17 Turner Field

Baltimore Orioles
BALT1 Adam Jones
BALT2 Nick Markakis
BALT3 Nolan Reimold
BALT4 Brian Roberts
BALT5 Chris Davis
BALT6 Alfredo Simon
BALT7 Kevin Gregg
BALT8 J.J. Hardy
BALT9 Endy Chavez
BALT10 Tommy Hunter
BALT11 Jake Arrieta
BALT12 Robert Andino
BALT13 Jim Johnson
BALT14 Brian Matusz
BALT15 Mark Reynolds
BALT16 Zach Britton
BALT17 Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Boston Red Sox
BOS1 Jacoby Ellsbury
BOS2 Josh Beckett
BOS3 Carl Crawford
BOS4 Kevin Youkilis
BOS5 Adrian Gonzalez
BOS6 Daniel Bard
BOS7 Jon Lester
BOS8 Dustin Pedroia
BOS9 David Ortiz
BOS10 Andrew Bailey
BOS11 Clay Buchholz
BOS12 Mike Aviles
BOS13 Jarrod Saltalamacchia
BOS14 Mark Melancon
BOS15 Fenway Park 1912
BOS16 Fenway Park 1967
BOS17 Fenway Park Modern Day

Chicago Cubs
CHC1 Starlin Castro
CHC2 Reed Johnson
CHC3 Alfonso Soriano
CHC4 Ryan Dempster
CHC5 Darwin Barney
CHC6 Kerry Wood
CHC7 Marlon Byrd
CHC8 Matt Garza
CHC9 Geovany Soto
CHC10 Randy Wells
CHC11 Carlos Marmol
CHC12 Bryan LaHair
CHC13 Anthony Rizzo
CHC14 David DeJesus
CHC15 Paul Maholm
CHC16 Ian Stewart
CHC17 Wrigley Field

Chicago White Sox
CWS1 Paul Konerko
CWS2 Jake Peavy
CWS3 Matt Thornton
CWS4 Gordon Beckham
CWS5 Brent Morel
CWS6 A.J. Pierzynski
CWS7 Alex Rios
CWS8 Dayan Viciedo
CWS9 Alexei Ramirez
CWS10 Adam Dunn
CWS11 Brent Lillibridge
CWS12 Alejandro De Aza
CWS13 Chris Sale
CWS14 John Danks
CWS15 Gavin Floyd
CWS16 Philip Humber
CWS17 US Cellular Field

Cincinnati Reds
CIN1 Joey Votto
CIN2 Jay Bruce
CIN3 Mat Latos
CIN4 Scott Rolen
CIN5 Johnny Cueto
CIN6 Homer Bailey
CIN7 Drew Stubbs
CIN8 Brandon Phillips
CIN9 Ryan Hanigan
CIN10 Bronson Arroyo
CIN11 Mike Leake
CIN12 Juan Francisco
CIN13 Zack Cozart
CIN14 Ryan Madson
CIN15 Aroldis Chapman
CIN16 Chris Heisey
CIN17 Great American Ball Park

Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
CLE1 Carlos Santana
CLE2 Lonnie Chisenhall
CLE3 Shin-Soo Choo
CLE4 Travis Hafner
CLE5 Jason Kipnis
CLE6 Ubaldo Jimenez
CLE7 Michael Brantley
CLE8 Jason Donald
CLE9 Vinnie Pestano
CLE10 Josh Tomlin
CLE11 Matt Laporta
CLE12 Asdrubal Cabrera
CLE13 Grady Sizemore
CLE14 Justin Masterson
CLE15 Derek Lowe
CLE16 Chris Perez
CLE17 Progressive Field

Colorado Rockies
COL1 Troy Tulowitzki
COL2 Carlos Gonzalez
COL3 Eric Young
COL4 Jorge De La Rosa
COL5 Todd Helton
COL6 Drew Pomeranz
COL7 Dexter Fowler
COL8 Juan Nicasio
COL9 Jason Giambi
CLO10 Jhoulys Chacin
COL11 Ramon Hernandez
COL12 Jordan Pacheco
COL13 Jonathan Herrera
COL14 Rafael Betancourt
COL15 Michael Cuddyer
COL16 Guillermo Moscoso
COL17 Coors Field

Detroit Tigers
DET1 Prince Fielder
DET2 Ryan Raburn
DET3 Brennan Boesch
DET4 Alex Avila
DET5 Miguel Cabrera
DET6 Doug Fister
DET7 Delmon Young
DET8 Victor Martinez
DET9 Brandon Inge
DET10 Justin Verlander
DET11 Max Scherzer
DET12 Austin Jackson
DET13 Jhonny Peralta
DET14 Jacob Turner
DET15 Rick Porcello
DET16 Jose Valverde
DET17 Comerica Park

Houston Astros
HOU1 Jed Lowrie
HOU2 Jordan Schafer
HOU3 J.D. Martinez
HOU4 Brett Wallace
HOU5 Chris Johnson
HOU6 Wandy Rodriguez
HOU7 Jason Bourgeois
HOU8 Jimmy Paredes
HOU9 Humberto Quintero
HOU10 Brett Myers
HOU11 Carlos Lee
HOU12 Brian Bogusevic
HOU13 Jose Altuve
HOU14 Bud Norris
HOU15 J.A. Happ
HOU16 Matt Downs
HOU17 Minute Maid Park

Kansas City Royals
KAN1 Eric Hosmer
KAN2 Jeff Francoeur
KAN3 Alex Gordon
KAN4 Salvador Perez
KAN5 Johnny Giavotella
KAN6 Yuniesky Betancourt
KAN7 Bruce Chen
KAN8 Alcides Escobar
KAN9 Billy Butler
KAN10 Lorenzo Cain
KAN11 Danny Duffy
KAN12 Mike Moustakas
KAN13 Jonathan Sanchez
KAN14 Luke Hochevar
KAN15 Joakim Soria
KAN16 Aaron Crow
KAN17 Kauffman Stadium

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
ANG1 Albert Pujols
ANG2 Peter Bourjos
ANG3 Vernon Wells
ANG4 Mark Trumbo
ANG5 Alberto Callaspo
ANG6 Ervin Santana
ANG7 Mike Trout
ANG8 Bobby Abreu
ANG9 Howie Kendrick
ANG10 Dan Haren
ANG11 Jered Weaver
ANG12 Torii Hunter
ANG13 C.J. Wilson
ANG14 Chris Iannetta
ANG15 Erick Aybar
ANG16 Jordan Walden
ANG17 Angel Stadium of Anaheim

Los Angeles Dodgers
LAD1 Matt Kemp
LAD2 Jerry Sands
LAD3 Mark Ellis
LAD4 Juan Uribe
LAD5 Juan Rivera
LAD6 Ted Lilly
LAD7 Andre Ethier
LAD8 Clayton Kershaw
LAD9 James Loney
LAD10 Kenley Jansen
LAD11 Aaron Harang
LAD12 Tony Gwynn Jr
LAD13 Dee Gordon
LAD14 Chad Billingsley
LAD15 Javy Guerra
LAD16 Nathan Eovaldi
LAD17 Dodger Stadium

Miami Marlins
MIA1 Jose Reyes
MIA2 Logan Morrison
MIA3 Anibal Sanchez
MIA4 Ricky Nolasco
MIA5 Omar Infante
MIA6 Hanley Ramirez
MIA7 Josh Johnson
MIA8 Emilio Bonifacio
MIA9 John Buck
MIA10 Mark Buehrle
MIA11 Heath Bell
MIA12 Mike Stanton
MIA13 Gaby Sanchez
MIA14 Matt Dominguez
MIA15 Carlos Zambrano
MIA16 Bryan Petersen
MIA17 Marlins Park

Milwaukee Brewers
MIL1 Ryan Braun
MIL2 Carlos Gomez
MIL3 Zack Greinke
MIL4 Aramis Ramirez
MIL5 Mat Gamel
MIL6 Shaun Marcum
MIL7 Nyjer Morgan
MIL8 Rickie Weeks
MIL9 Alex Gonzalez
MIL10 Yovani Gallardo
MIL11 Randy Wolf
MIL12 Corey Hart
MIL13 Jonathan Lucroy
MIL14 John Axford
MIL15 Francisco Rodriguez
MIL16 Chris Narveson
MIL17 Miller Park

Minnesota Twins
MIN1 Joe Mauer
MIN2 Danny Valencia
MIN3 Ben Revere
MIN4 Trevor Plouffe
MIN5 Ryan Doumit
MIN6 Carl Pavano
MIN7 Denard Span
MIN8 Nick Blackburn
MIN9 Tsuyoshi Nishioka
MIN10 Josh Willingham
MIN11 Scott Baker
MIN12 Chris Parmelee
MIN13 Justin Morneau
MIN14 Francisco Liriano
MIN15 Matt Capps
MIN16 Joe Benson
MIN17 Target Field

New York Mets
NYM1 David Wright
NYM2 Mike Pelfrey
NYM3 Jason Bay
NYM4 Johan Santana
NYM5 Ike Davis
NYM6 Andres Torres
NYM7 Lucas Duda
NYM8 Josh Thole
NYM9 Jon Niese
NYM10 R.A. Dickey
NYM11 Frank Francisco
NYM12 Ruben Tejada
NYM13 Daniel Murphy
NYM14 Dillon Gee
NYM15 Bobby Parnell
NYM16 Justin Turner
NYM17 Citi Field

New York Yankees
NYY1 Derek Jeter
NYY2 Alex Rodriguez
NYY3 Brett Gardner
NYY4 Russell Martin
NYY5 Michael Pineda
NYY6 CC Sabathia
NYY7 Curtis Granderson
NYY8 Eduardo Nunez
NYY9 Mark Teixeira
NYY10 Hiroki Kuroda
NYY11 Ivan Nova
NYY12 Nick Swisher
NYY13 Robinson Cano
NYY14 Freddy Garcia
NYY15 Mariano Rivera
NYY16 Phil Hughes
NYY17 Yankee Stadium

Oakland Athletics
OAK1 Jemile Weeks
OAK2 Cliff Pennington
OAK3 Coco Crisp
OAK4 Dallas Braden
OAK5 Kurt Suzuki
OAK6 Seth Smith
OAK7 Scott Sizemore
OAK8 Brandon Allen
OAK9 Tom Milone
OAK10 Brandon McCarthy
OAK11 Michael Taylor
OAK12 Brett Anderson
OAK13 Collin Cowgill
OAK14 Josh Reddick
OAK15 Brad Peacock
OAK16 Rich Harden
OAK17 Oakland Alameda County Colliseum

Philadelphia Phillies
PHI1 Roy Halladay
PHI2 Shane Victorino
PHI3 Kyle Kendrick
PHI4 Jim Thome
PHI5 Jimmy Rollins
PHI6 Cliff Lee
PHI7 John Mayberry
PHI8 Placido Polanco
PHI9 Carlos Ruiz
PHI10 Ryan Howard
PHI11 Cole Hamels
PHI12 Hunter Pence
PHI13 Chase Utley
PHI14 Joe Blanton
PHI15 Jonathan Papelbon
PHI16 Vance Worley
PHI17 Citizens Bank Park

Pittsburgh Pirates
PIT1 Andrew McCutchen
PIT2 Alex Presley
PIT3 Clint Barmes
PIT4 Neil Walker
PIT5 Garrett Jones
PIT6 Casey McGehee
PIT7 Michael McKenry
PIT8 Jose Tabata
PIT9 Chase d'Arnaud
PIT10 Erik Bedard
PIT11 Charlie Morton
PIT12 Kevin Correia
PIT13 Pedro Alvarez
PIT14 James McDonald
PIT15 Jeff Karstens
PIT 16 Joel Hanrahan
PIT17 PNC Park

St. Louis Cardinals
STL1 David Freese
STL2 Jon Jay
STL3 Matt Holliday
STL4 Carlos Beltran
STL5 Yadier Molina
STL6 Chris Carpenter
STL7 Allen Craig
STL8 Skip Schumaker
STL9 Rafael Furcal
STL10 Adam Wainwright
STL11 Kyle Lohse
STL12 Lance Berkman
STL13 Daniel Descalso
STL14 Jaime Garcia
STL15 Jason Motte
STL16 Fredbird
STL17 Busch Stadium

San Diego Padres
SD1 Cameron Maybin
SD2 Will Venable
SD3 Kyle Blanks
SD4 Huston Street
SD5 Orlando Hudson
SD6 Nick Hundley
SD7 Yonder Alonso
SD8 Jason Bartlett
SD9 Carlos Quentin
SD10 Edinson Volquez
SD11 Clayton Richard
SD12 Chase Headley
SD13 Jesus Guzman
SD14 Tim Stauffer
SD15 Cory Luebke
SD16 Dustin Moseley
SD17 PETCO Park

San Francisco Giants
SF1 Tim Lincecum
SF2 Brandon Belt
SF3 Melky Cabrera
SF4 Matt Cain
SF5 Angel Pagan
SF6 Ryan Vogelsong
SF7 Mike Fontenot
SF8 Aubrey Huff
SF9 Freddy Sanchez
SF10 Madison Bumgarner
SF11 Barry Zito
SF12 Pablo Sandoval
SF13 Buster Posey
SF14 Brian Wilson
SF15 Nate Schierholtz
SF16 Brandon Crawford
SF17 AT&T Park

Seattle Mariners
SEA1 Dustin Ackley
SEA2 Ichiro Suzuki
SEA3 Trayvon Robinson
SEA4 Franklin Gutierrez
SEA5 Felix Hernandez
SEA6 Jason Vargas
SEA7 Brandon League
SEA8 Brendan Ryan
SEA9 Mike Carp
SEA10 Miguel Olivo
SEA11 Jesus Montero
SEA12 Kyle Seager
SEA13 Justin Smoak
SEA14 Alex Liddi
SEA15 Mariner Moose
SEA16 The Kingdome
SEA17 Safeco Field

Tampa Bay Rays
TB1 David Price
TB2 Matt Joyce
TB3 Desmond Jennings
TB4 Wade Davis
TB5 Sean Rodriguez
TB6 Jeremy Hellickson
TB7 B.J. Upton
TB8 James Shields
TB9 Kyle Farnsworth
TB10 Evan Longoria
TB11 Matt Moore
TB12 Ben Zobrist
TB13 Reid Brignac
TB14 Jeff Niemann
TB15 Jose Molina
TB16 Joe Maddon
TB17 Tropicana Field

Texas Rangers
TEX1 Josh Hamilton
TEX2 Nelson Cruz
TEX3 Craig Gentry
TEX4 Mitch Moreland
TEX5 Michael Young
TEX6 Joe Nathan
TEX7 Mike Napoli
TEX8 Adrian Beltre
TEX9 Ian Kinsler
TEX10 Colby Lewis
TEX11 Matt Harrison
TEX12 David Murphy
TEX13 Elvis Andrus
TEX14 Derek Holland
TEX15 Neftali Feliz
TEX16 Alexi Ogando
TEX17 Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

Toronto Blue Jays
TOR1 Jose Bautista
TOR2 Travis Snider
TOR3 Eric Thames
TOR4 Yunel Escobar
TOR5 Kelly Johnson
TOR6 Brett Cecil
TOR7 Colby Rasmus
TOR8 Ricky Romero
TOR9 J.P. Arencibia
TOR10 Brandon Morrow
TOR11 Henderson Alvarez
TOR12 Edwin Encarnacion
TOR13 Adam Lind
TOR14 Rajai Davis
TOR15 Sergio Santos
TOR16 Brett Lawrie
TOR17 Rogers Centre

Washington Nationals
WAS1 Stephen Strasburg
WAS2 Ian Desmond
WAS3 Jayson Werth
WAS4 John Lannan
WAS5 Wilson Ramos
WAS6 Gio Gonzalez
WAS7 Ryan Zimmerman
WAS8 Michael Morse
WAS9 Steve Lombardozzi
WAS10 Jordan Zimmermann
WAS11 Chien-Ming Wang
WAS12 Danny Espinosa
WAS13 Adam LaRoche
WAS14 Roger Bernadina
WAS15 Drew Storen
WAS16 Tyler Clippard
WAS17 Nationals Park

AL All-Stars
AL1 Albert Pujols
AL2 Evan Longoria
AL3 Miguel Cabrera
AL4 Josh Hamilton
AL5 Jacoby Ellsbury
AL6 Jose Bautista
AL7 Jered Weaver
AL8 Felix Hernandez
AL9 Justin Verlander
AL10 Ichiro Suzuki
AL11 Robinson Cano
AL12 CC Sabathia
AL13 Prince Fielder
AL14 Dustin Pedroia
AL15 Adrian Gonzalez
AL16 Derek Jeter
AL17 Alex Rodriguez

NL All-Stars
NL1 Matt Kemp
NL2 Ryan Braun
NL3 Jose Reyes
NL4 David Wright
NL5 Ryan Howard
NL6 Roy Halladay
NL7 Tim Lincecum
NL8 Clayton Kershaw
NL9 Troy Tulowitzki
NL10 Carlos Gonzalez
NL11 Dan Uggla
NL12 Hanley Ramirez
NL13 Buster Posey
NL14 Justin Upton
NL15 Joey Votto
NL16 Mike Stanton
NL17 Stephen Strasburg

All 30 team sets include the team's home stadium and unlike last year's "Home of the Reds" card, we now have a "Great American Ball Park" card.  All the stadiums are properly named (okay, save the debate about how corporate sponsorships in naming rights for stadiums for another time).  But I have a problem with this.

It's hard enough for some teams to get 16 players onto the eponymous set of 660.  That's why I like these team sets...you get players who would otherwise be ignored.  So I know that in past sets, we've had managers (Joe Maddon is on here this year), mascots (catch Fredbird with the rest of the Cardinals and Mariner Moose with the M's). I get that. If you notice, there is no trace of Mickey Mantle anywhere on the Yankees' team set (no offense to Mantle fans, but YAY!!!)  I can live with these...really, I can.

But is there any reason why...WHY!!!...there are three cards of Fenway Park on the Red Sox team set?  The Kingdome, I can understand (then again, is anybody in Seattle peeved that there are only 14 M's in your set to go with the Moose and two stadiums or are you content in knowing that 11 guys...maybe more...from your Opening Day roster was snubbed?) as it is no longer around.

Yes, Fenway is 100 years old. Was it really necessary though to include cards of what the Park looked like in 1912 AND 1967??? I think one card (of 1912 to show what the place originally looked like) would have made sense. But short of winning the pennant in 1967, why choose a picture from THAT year??? Hey Topps, any plans on doing a Fenway Park Legacy set since that other card company can't do it and the one with half the licenses can't use logos?

As prices for all 30 team sets are in the $4.99 - $8.99 range, I think I'll hold off on getting them right now (unless I happen to see them live at the Field of Dreams in Woodfield...all bets are off then) until the prices go down a bit (the one place I do enjoy ordering from doesn't even have anything listed). Regardless of when I get my hands on these cards and add them to my expanding collection, I hope putting these checklists online helps you decide to go out and get a team set, or two, or thirty.

Happy Hunting!!!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Christmas Time Is Here...All is Calm...All is Bright...

It is now 11:07 p.m. CST, Friday, December 24, 2010. The kids are settling in to bed (finally). The presents are wrapped and are under the tree. And here I am thinking about what to write. I look back on what I wrote last year at this time, and many of the things I wrote then still ring true today:

"This has been a very rough year financially, emotionally, mentally for a lot of people. In fact, I know that many people are cutting back on the usual extravagances, opting for simple get-togethers with family and friends. Many adults have agreed to skip the exchange of Christmas presents, opting to focus their gift giving towards their children, who, regardless of the state of the world right now, deserve a good holiday."

So back to the point. It is Christmas. It is a time to reflect, a time to celebrate. A time to remember what it is all about. What it really is all about. Again, from last year:

"I think I'm trying to say that as our priorities shift, I think it's more important that we think about what Christmas is all about. Yes, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. And that is why my family and I celebrate. But there is so much more to it than that. This is the time of year that we show our friends and family how much they mean to us. How much they matter to us. How much we care about them and believe that the feelings are mutual. This is the time that we put any hostilities we have aside and celebrate life. It's the time of year that we think about those who are less fortunate, and find ways to help, no matter how much or how little, and count our blessings."

Another year is soon coming to an end. In the world that we call our Hobby, it has seen the results of the dramatic changes that were announced over a year ago. Whether the Topps Company successfully took advantage of their "Exclusive License" or not gets a different answer depending on who you ask. For me, there were a lot more hits than misses. Not saying that all of their products were great (or the execution therein), but there can only be improvements. Remember, this is the first time since 1980 that they had the market all to themselves. It will take a while before they get the hang of it. Based on what I've seen so far, the future only looks bright.

Regardless of where you find yourselves these next few days, on behalf of my family, I wish you and yours a happy, a safe, a joyous, and most importantly, a very Merry Christmas. May packs of Topps cards fill your stocking on Christmas morning.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

P.S. In past years posts, I included a few Christmas videos of songs I enjoy hearing during the holidays. This year, my daughter introduced me to what I think will rank up there in my favorite Christmas/Holiday carols of all time. From Straight No Chaser, it's the Christmas Can-Can. jba

T-Minus 6 Hours (EST) Before...Topps Million Card Giveaway Time

For those who want to know how this will all work, enjoy this little video tutorial (found on the FCB message boards!!!)



I can't wait. Even if I get a bunch of 1989 Topps commons, this looks to be a lot of fun!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

99 Luftbaloons...I Mean...99 Topps Cards Wanted from 2010 Topps Series 1!!!

I went to WalMart yesterday, and found their stash of baseball cards (instead of putting them in front by the registers, they're now all the way in the back in the toy section, where they should be. Anyway, I realized that packs at Target, packs with the security tag had the elusive 1951 Red Back inserts. So I thought if I got the packs with the security tags at Walmart, I'd have the same success finding the Blue Back inserts. So for an experiment, I bought ten packs, five with the tag, and five without (their easy to find, just look for the bump in the back).

The result? Ten packs, one Blue Back card (Babe Ruth). And it was found in a pack...WITHOUT the security tag.

Yesterday, I mentioned I will be looking for 100 cards from 2010 Topps 1. Now, it's down to 99.

(In honor of a 99-card want list, here is Nena and 99 Luftballoons)



Oh, you wanted the English version...



Okay, enough 80's music (and who can't get enough of 80's music??!)

Here is my official 99-card wantlist for 2010 Topps inserts as of Saturday, 02/13/2010:

2010 Topps Cards Your Mother Threw Out Backs (56)
All except 1959 (Gibson) and 1974 (Winfield).

2010 Topps Red Backs (Target) (10)
1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14

2010 Topps Blue Backs (WalMart/Meijer) (13):
All except 1 (Ruth) and 15 (Ott)

2010 Topps Legends Short-Prints Series 1 (20):
#1b Hank Greenberg
#20b Warren Spahn
#50b Cy Young
#56b Whitey Ford
#80b Christy Mathewson
#85b Jackie Robinson
#90b Rogers Hornsby
#94b Carlton Fisk
#95b Rickey Henderson
#100b Stan Musial
#110b Willie Stargell
#116b Robin Yount
#125b George Sisler
#130b Reggie Jackson
#165b Joe Morgan
#175b Roger Maris
#200b Walter Johnson
#222b Curtis Granderson NYY
#250b Lou Gehrig
#300b Ryne Sandberg

If you, or somebody you know, has any of the above 99 cards (or for that matter any of the other cards in my wantlist you can find on the sidebar), please send me an e-mail. I have a lot of base and insert cards that can be used for trade. In the case of 2010 Topps inserts for example, I have:

Turkey Red:
4 (Pujols), 11, 12, 16(2), 17, 18, 19 (Ripken), 24, 32, 39, 41, 42, 50

History of the Game:
4, 6, 9, 10, 14, 17, 19(2), 20, 21, 22(2)

Peak Performance:
2, 4, 10, 14(2), 17, 18, 20, 25, 34, 38, 39, 41, 42, 44, 45, 48

When They Were Young:
Doumit(2), Ortiz, Beckham, McCutchen, Wright, Damon, Verlander, Olsen

Tales of the Game:
1, 10, 13, 16, 18, 21, 23(2)

Cards Your Mother Threw Out:
18, 21, 25, 26, 30, 31, 34(2), 38, 43, 46, 47, 52, 55 (Alex Gordon 2006), 57

Legendary Lineage:
3, 4(2), 5, 6, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29

Topps Gold:
68 (Inge), 100 (Pujols), 154 (Feliz), 197 (Indians Team), 226 (Juan Rivera)

And many more base and insert cards from 2009 and earlier. Thank you very much for your time. And enjoy the music.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

So This Is Christmas...What Have We Done???

I started typing this at 11:53 PM CST on Wednesday, December 23. By the time I finish writing this post tonight, it will be Christmas Eve. This has been a very rough year financially, emotionally, mentally for a lot of people. In fact, I know that many people are cutting back on the usual extravegances, opting for simple get-togethers with family and friends. Many adults have agreed to skip the exchange of Christmas presents, opting to focus their gift giving towards their children, who, regardless of the state of the world right now, deserve a good holiday.

So while most of the presents have been purchased, and many still need to be wrapped, I find myself having to shop tomorrow for last minute presents for the nine kids that I care for the most (that would be two kids of my own plus the seven nephews and nieces that they enjoy being with). It wouldn't be the first time I went last-minute shopping, and I'm sure it won't be the last. I might not be able to buy them the most expensive presents on their want list. Heck, I don't think I can buy many of the things on their want lists. But I will find something for them that they can definitely use (no, I don't plan on buying nine rounds of socks and underwear...although...).

I think I'm trying to say that as our priorities shift, I think it's more important that we think about what Christmas is all about. Yes, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. And that is why my family and I celebrate. But there is so much more to it than that. This is the time of year that we show our friends and family how much they mean to us. How much they matter to us. How much we care about them and believe that the feelings are mutual. This is the time that we put any hostilities we have aside and celebrate life. It's the time of year that we think about those who are less fortunate, and find ways to help, no matter how much or how little, and count our blessings.

And while I ramble on...

Regardless of where you are these next two days, on behalf of my family, I wish you and yours a happy, a safe, a joyous, and most imporantly, a very Merry Christmas. May packs of Topps cards fill your stocking on Christmas morning.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

P.S. To set the mood for the next two days, please feel free to enjoy a song that for some reason, only gets airtime during the holidays. Regardless, this is one of my favorite songs...EVER. jba


Linus and Lucy - The best free videos are right here

Topps on TV Talking About their MLB Exclusive License

For your viewing pleasure, (and mine, since I never got to see this), Warren Friss, VP/General Manager-Entertainment of Topps, talks about the new exclusive license with MLB in this video from Bloomberg News.Thanks to Sports Collectors Daily for sharing the Video.Sincerely,JayBee Anama

This Makes Me Want to Go and Buy a Webcam!!!

Courtesy of the New York Times.

Since the beginning of my internet life, I've been dead set against buying a webcam. Why??? I think the last thing anybody would like to see is me on a video. Or worse, my kids messing around with one (every parent's nightmare...and their both under 10).

Anyway, this news would make me change my mind:


Now I've seen previews of this on ToppsTown, and I thought it had something to do with the new Match Attax cards. Please read this story and catch the video...

Then, click here:


I guess those ToppsTown cards are worth holding on to after all...

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

To all maybe 10-20 regular readers of this humble little blog (and for everyone else who stumbles in because of a well placed internet search),

Merry Christmas!!!

Instead of the usual Topps talk (and whatever has been going on in the Hobby blogosphere in the last two weeks), I will give you my top three (or four, or five, depending on how many I can find), songs that I HAVE to hear for it to be Christmas:



The Muppets "Twelve Days of Christmas"



Nothing beats Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Christmas Eve in Sarajevo"



This may be the reason why they play this song only at Christmas time. This is more than just a Christmas song. Sorry, but I couldn't find a longer version with the Peanuts cartoon on it..."Linus and Lucy"



Nothing says 80's and Christmas Songs like Band Aid's "Do They Know it's Christmas"

And finally...



Love the animation and I really love that my daughter digs this version of "White Christmas"

So there you have it. It can't be Christmas for me until I hear these songs. I'm off for now. Take care.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

You Know How I Said "Throw Me Something I Can Use?"...

This was not what I had in mind!!!



I can't stand it.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

All I Am Saying...Is Give Beckett's New Site a Chance!!!

(Roughly sung to the tune of John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance," not his version, but the 90's version seen below. Get over the real message of the video (I'm not going to even go there...) and the awful 90's hair, and eventually you'll understand where I'm going with this...)



Everybody's talkin' bout...

Beckett's new site oh so bad
All us members have been had
The new site is hard to use
My computer's been abused
Can't figure out where's the board
I am getting oh so bored.....

All I am saying...is give it a chance
All I am saying...is give it a chance

What we're talkin' bout...

Members saying that it "sucks"
Wishing people "best of luck"
Leaving the site cause they had enough
But come on people, it's not so rough

All I am saying...is give it a chance
All I am saying...is give it a chance

Okay, that's enough...

It's been four days since the new Beckett site launched, and I think it's safe to say that tons of people who've used the site for years are not happy. Why???:

• "The site is unorganized"
• "I can't get onto the message boards"
• "I'm number 5000 to get my collections downloaded"
• "You want us to 'pay to trade'?"

And the responses from said members?:

• "This sucks" (about a thousand times this has been said, in many cases, in very unflattering ways)
• "I'm leaving"
• "Nice knowing you"
• "Hey, we're all over on this board now, come on over, it's just like OLD TIMES"

Mark Twain (and yes, I'm looked this up) once said, "The only two certainties in life are death and taxes." A third certainty in life is change. Beckett made a change to their web prescence. And while there are certainly faults and bugs in the overall system, it should not have been enough to drive many to say what was said above before making the exodus to other sites (which I am not going to glamourize by linking here).

One of the newest features on the site is that members can write their own articles and have them published on the site (just like guest blogging). One of the best ones I've seen so far is from former Becketteer Pepper Hastings. In his article, he actually predicted that the ensuing mess that occurred once the new website went live. He also said that not too many people, whether within or Hobby or not, embrace change. He's right. It's human nature not to accept change right away, especially if we've been comfortable with what we've had for so long. But it is also human nature to be curious and try new things. We learn so much when we try and do something new.

That's why I'm willing to give the new version of Beckett.com a chance. It's been a few days, and yes, while it still is slow, I'm learning my way around the site. Already, my collections have been downloaded, and I find it will be easier for me to add stuff when I'm at home instead of at work (which I should be doing more of anyway). I can get to the message boards a lot faster now that I know where to go, and eventually, I'll get the hang of navigating the site (with the help of a few videos). I don't trade, so I don't care about the "pay to trade" thing that other people have been crying foul about. I too don't think that it's right, but it's not my website, I don't work for Beckett, and they can do whatever they want with it.

What those who've "left" don't understand is that it was never "OUR WEBSITE." We don't own it. We may have a say in what went into it, and unless we own stock in the company, or work for the company, we didn't have an ownership stake on any part of the site, especially the beloved message boards. In fact, I think many members of the esteemed boards only went onto the site just to use the boards (which isn't a bad thing), but there was more to the site than just speaking your mind and trading on a message board.

Now Beckett is giving their members more of a voice than ever before. I, for one, will be taking advantage of that opportunity when the time comes. And I will certainly stay the course on the site, not planning on leaving any time soon.

I read on the other board that the people who decide to stay no matter what are a bunch of sheep. For those who said that, here is my reply...

"BAAAAAA!"

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

If You Want Something to Do With Your 1991-1993 Topps Micro Sets

Found on the Topps Message Boards. If you've ever wanted to put those Topps Micro cards to good use...



Sincerely,

JayBee Anama