Cleaning Up the Sports Card Blogroll...Again!

Last year at this time, I never thought I'd be saying this. But some time next year, the Sports Card Blogroll will be keeping tabs on 400 Sports Card Blogs. 

I mean it.

There will be 400 blogs on the SCBR next year. 

Why? 

Because for every new blog I get an e-mail about, or discover after reading other blogs, I find at least one, maybe two blogs on that newly discovered blog's sidebar that I had never seen before. Case in point.  Last week, I added one card blog because another writer traded with "a new blogger," and this new blogger had at least three other blogs (all hockey, by the way) that I didn't have on the active roster.  So in they went.  And while none of them had a certain Topps blog or a certain blogroll linked, it's nice to know that there are still people out there who are finding that blogs are a great way to communicate and trade cards.

It's the end of the month.  Summer is over (well, not until the autumnal equinox anyway), but it won't be long now before the leave change color and begin to fall.  So with that serene image in our minds, it's time to clean up the Sports Card Blogroll.

At the end of last month, the blogroll held steady at 330 card blogs.  I added (and in a couple of instances, added back) 12 blogs about sports cards to the active roster, bringing us up to a new high of 342 blogs.  But we also have to clear out those which have not had any new posts in more than six months.  So these now inactive blogs will now be moved to the sidebar of inactivity.  They include:

• Adventures in Prospecting
• Opening Day Cards
• Crackin Wax
• toppscards
• Basketball Card Pro
• Hawaiian Bam Bam's Dodgers and Baseball Card Blog
• Reds and more...

Removing these seven blogs brings the SCBR roster down to 335 blogs.  This means the blog had a net gain of +5 blogs, another month of growth. 

It is my goal to maintain 400 blogs on this site, and I believe that 2012, the site will reach that goal.  Remember, if you, or someone you know, has a blog, wants to write a blog, or wants to dive back into the proverbial pool, please send me an e-mail at bdj610@hotmail.com and let me know about it.  The more voices, the more people, the more writers that go on this grand journey, the better we as collectors in this great Hobby become.  More and more people are finding their way to our medium daily.  It's now up to us to continue to stay relevant and do our part to stay involved in this growing community.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2012 Topps Thoughts

Okay, we've had enough time to stare at, ogle, and share our feelings about the images from 2012 Topps Baseball.  And if you've read other blogs, the opinions are not pretty.  Game changing?  I'll agree with many that it isn't.  But will the design grow on me?  Absolutely.

One blog threw a curve suggesting that 2012 Topps will be split into seven series, with Bowman being inserted.  Reading that comment reminded me of the Wikipedia war that raged when the Mr. Men Show ended after two seasons, and people were "vandalizing" the site by saying that there would be a season 3, with new characters and voice actors to boot (don't ask me how I know about this).  And just like the speculation of a season 3 never came to fruition, I'm glad that there was no way in h-e-double hockey sticks that 2012 Topps would be distributed the way it was described.

There are a few things I like about this set, and a lot of things I wish Topps could have done to improve upon it.  But after watching the videos from the National of Topps Town Hall Meet-and-Greet, I can see that most of what I would have liked to see is just wishful thinking.

I like the design of the set...if the cards appeared with a wood border.  That Adrian Gonzalez card looked great with the wood frame.  Now I know that this isn't the first time that Topps made full blown wood cards (see 1997 Topps Team Timber).  But I hope that none of the one-of-one cards bow, or worse, splinter, like the these inserts (none of my Team Timber cards splintered or cracked, but the fear was always there when handling and even after years of staying in plastic sheets, they will not stay flat when taking the card out of the pocket).  But again, the design could grow on me, and I'll like it eventually.  Or maybe I won't (see any Random Card of the Day post of any card from 2002, and you'll understand).

Another 330 card series?  They said in the video that when they last did a Topps Total set, it didn't sell as well as they had hoped and that the market didn't seem to want another set like this.  The guy questioning the panel interrupted saying that "the market has changed since then."  True, it has.  But as a business, if a product didn't sell the way they had hoped, they're not going to invest resources into building upon it.  Topps Total had run its course, and it looks like the mop up relievers and third string catchers in MLB will never get a regular Topps card going forward. 

Sigh.

Mickey Mantle is back.  WHY???  Because Topps has a deal with Mantle's family and can put him in every product if they choose, including the flagship.  Could this stop?  They didn't even point this out in their sell sheet when doing the breakdown:

• 265 Veterans
• 30 Rookies
• 10 League Leaders
• 6 Award Winners (Cy Young, MVP, Rookie of the Year)
• 5 Record Breakers (which will wind up being the checklist for the base set)
• 4 World Series Highlights
• 10 Cards recognizing the Active Leaders in 10 categories (not something necessary in a 330 card-series, but acceptable).

That's 330 cards all right.  But the preliminary checklist shows that card #7, once again, is...guess who?  Does he even count as a Veteran???

I'm not really a fan of relics or autos, so I'm not going to discuss my opinions of them.  I'll focus on the basic inserts.  Based on the information from the Sell sheet, Topps Master Set collectors like myself will be adding a whopping 265 insert cards in our 2012 Topps binders.  And that's not including what will pop up as exclusives for Target and Walmart (and Toys 'R Us/KMart/Sears/Meijer, etc...if they even do one).  And you just know that at least four of the seven insert sets will be carried over into Series 2 and the Update Series (or whatever Topps will be calling it).  My money is on the 1987 minis (which will probably look more like the mini leaders cards than the actual 1987 Topps set), the Golden Greats (really a repeat from 2000 Topps where a player is featured with five different highlight cards), Generations (the third consecutive year that a young player is paired up with a veteran/retired legend on a card), and Gold Futures (finding 75 young players isn't going to be that hard). 

The inserts sets otherwise look very nice, and I will probably get them all at once (I can't imagine myself hunting these cards otherwise).  But I pointed out in an earlier post that the Golden theme was already done...in 2001?  Why do it now? There isn't an actual traditional 61st Anniversary present.  Oh well, at least there aren't any Presidential Election inserts this year (unless it's something not on the sell sheet and a Campaign '12 series will just be included somehow...)

One thing that I also didn't see are any signs of any Legendary Shortprints?  Does this mean there won't be any in 2012?  Doubt it.  As much as some collectors want the companies to disclose EVERYTHING, I agree with Topps to a point when they don't announce SP's, super SP's, and "gimmicks."  Before the internet, opening up a pack of cards and finding something that you wouldn't expect was a thrill and a good thing (maybe there's more...I'll buy more cards and see).  Now, some people treat gimmicks like they're a crime against humanity.  They're fun.  They're supposed to be fun.  And besides, if some of you don't like them so much, why are they on your want lists?  If Topps disclosed everything, that element of surprise is gone.  It becomes boring.  And it wouldn't generate the kind of buzz that products like this need in the digital age.  So Topps, you are certainly welcome to surprise me.

It was also stated on the video that Topps couldn't just make a retired-player-only product.  Per MLB Properties, Topps was allowed to include retired players in TEN products as long as they were mixed in with active players (Topps' agreement with the Mantle estate is the exception).  In 2011, that excluded the five Bowman products, Topps (1 & 2...that's one product folks), and Topps Update (a separate product from the eponymous set).  This means we will never see a set like Topps Archives again. 

Sigh.  But back to the point.

I can't wait for 2012 Topps.  Overall, it looks to be a fantastic product, and a great preview for the 2012 MLB campaign.  Yes, they could have picked a better card to use for the preview (nothing against Ryan Braun, but it's not your most flattering picture).  But at least we get the idea of what to expect.  This set may not be THE game-changer, but maybe it sets up what will be a great year for the Hobby.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Top Ten Things I've Been Doing When Not Blogging...

It's almost the end of August, and this post that you've decided to read is the eighth post I've written this month.  And for anyone that is still making his or her way to this blog, I apologize for the lack of posts.  Between vacation (the pictures are still on the front page), and work, and adjusting to the kids going to TWO schools (my daughter is now in middle school...sigh...), the blog has taken a bit of a backseat to life. 

It happens to the best of us.  I can use the season that my NL Chicago team has been having as the reason why I've lacked any kind of motivation to follow what's been happening in both MLB and the Hobby.  I knew that this wasn't going to be the year, but until that good run in the first half of August, it's been a bitter pill to swallow watching them play this year.  But by the time I create my post for the End of the Year All-Star Teams, even with as poorly as they've been playing, there will most likely be more than one Cub named to the team.  Chicago Bias?  Perhaps.  But I've been doing some analyzing of stats going into September, and compared to players in similar positions, the Cubs will not be a team with one player being named.  That team on the other side haven't been much to hoot and holler about either.  But there is still a month to play, so anything goes.

So I thought that now is a good time to review what it is exactly I've been up to so I can justify not writing as much as I said I would.  Here is a Top Ten List, from the home office in Des Plaines, IL:

• 10.  Mowing my lawn.  I know that the weather has been crazy lately in the east coast, but here in the suburbs of Chicago, we've had record heat, record rains, and my lawn has experienced record growth.  I only have time to mow the lawn on the weekends (so don't get on me about during the week). But when I'm free to mow, it rains.  The ground becomes too wet, and my lawn mower (bless it's little engine) clogs and dies when the ground/grass is wet.  Then, when I have other things to do, the sun is out, the ground/grass is dry, and I'm not home to mow.
• 9.  Vacation.  Did I mention that I went to the Dells of Wisconsin? And did I also mention that pictures are most likely on the first page of this blog?
• 8.  Work. It's been busy.  And I won't get into that here.  I am grateful for the job I have and this is not the place to discuss it.
• 7.  Housework.  I'm actually starting to take time and clean up the table that's been full of cards, boxes, penny sleeves, top loaders, books, team bags, magazines, and other things that my better half calls "junk."  Then again, she has her craft supplies, beautician supplies, and other supplies all over the place too.  Add my kids toys, video games (Zelda is still being played...will get to that shortly), and the house has that "lived-in" look.  I wouldn't consider this house a disaster area (it certainly isn't going to make an appearance on "Hoarders"), but at least we have a place for us and our belongings.
• 6.  Meeting the neighbors.  We've had new neighbors since last fall, and we never got around to introducing ourselves to them until these last two months.  And I think we've spoken to them more in the last three days than we have in the last nine months.  They're really nice.  And they make killer barbecue.
• 5.  Video Games.  We've finally completed The Legend of Zelda:  The Wind Waker and are now playing it again, just for kicks, the Gallery (take pictures of EVERYBODY, and some guy makes statues), and we're just going around looking for Triforce pieces.  We're even doing things this second time around that we didn't do before.  So it's been a bit more fun to explore the game.  But it's been taking a lot of time out of the day.  And now that the kids are back in school, the rule of "No Video Games until the Weekend" is back and being enforced.
• 4.  Delivering Doughnuts.  I may have mentioned before that my family just bought an established doughnut shop back in June.  And while I'm not an actual employee of the place, I did get conned into helping my dad deliver the fried/baked goodies to gas stations and supermarkets.  I say "conned" because the phone call I got said "accompany dad to a delivery in (name of town here)."  What I thought was going to be a three hour trip turned into a nine hour run all over the western suburbs.  I thank my dad for the trip...I don't get to hang out with him enough...but I had a few choice words for my brother (the guy that thought I would make a good navigator).
• 3.  Rediscovering cards that are NOT in my official collection.  The number on the sidebar includes cards I have in my binders on my bookshelfs of completed sets and inserts.  If I were to add all the other cards in my collection, we'd be just shy of 100,000 cards.  This fall and off-season, I plan on getting back into the trading business.  Whether it's on the good old Topps Message Boards (which by the way, I just found out that although the boards as I knew are gone, the eTopps boards that replaced them now has its own non eTopps Baseball Message Board.  This seems to be where all the guys and gals from the old place are now hanging out.  I've visited, not yet posted anything.  But it's starting to feel like home), or on other blogs (yes, I'm going to start looking into the want lists of other bloggers to see if I have anything they need in exchange for what I want.  The Hobby Blogging Community as a group is very generous when it comes to trading.  And I realized that many of the new blogs (which you can find on the Sports Card Blogroll), trade with each other.  They don't put a certain Topps Baseball Card Blog on their sidebar (okay Ego, that's enough), so I figure introduce myself and who knows.
• 2.  Twitter.  If I'm not blogging, you can find me on the 140 character or less posting site (@bdj610 if you want to follow me). 
• 1.  Getting Ready for 2011 Topps Update Series and 2012 Topps!!!  You've seen the sell sheets. Let the hype begin.

I did have things to say about my trip to the National, the upcoming 2012 Topps product, more of the now almost-out-of-time 2011 Topps Archives Project, the Topps 300 site, and more.  I even want to get my 2010 All-Star Game simulation in soon.  Maybe even do the 2011 Topps card back tributes again.  And maybe fire up the Randomizer again.

Or maybe all that can wait until September (kidding...am I???)

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

2012 Topps Series 1 Sell Sheets are Live!!!

Last week, we were able to get brief glimpses of what the eponymous Topps Baseball Cards will look like for 2012. Now, the sell sheets for the now highly anticipated 2012 Topps Baseball Series 1 product are live!!!





















Even though the images were already shown last week, it's nice to see how it all fits on the sell sheets. More to come. Need to settle down from the mass hysteria in my head.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

It's 2001 All Over Again (I'll Explain in a Minute...) as We Celebrate 2012 Topps!!!

More details have been leaked at the number one source in the hobby regarding Topps' endeavor in 2012.

If you remember in 2001, Topps celebrated their "Golden Anniversary."  Their big insert set was the Golden Anniversary cards.  A 50-card set broken down into five subsets:  Golden Greats, Glistening Gold, Gold Nuggets, Hidden Gold, Going for Gold.  There were also Golden Moments (a subset within the base set), Golden Anniversary autographs, and so forth, and so on.

Well, it seems that the theme for 2012 Topps involves gold as well.

A LOT OF GOLD!!!

Golden Greats, Golden Moments, Golden Everything.  And for the third year in a row, there will be an online Giveaway.  A Golden Giveaway where you can redeem cards from Topps' now 60 year history, and cards "EMBEDDED IN GOLD!!!"  Collect virtual golden coins to get prizes (does this sound familiar).

There will also be inserts, including what is being described as 1987 mini cards. So there lifetimetopps, you have your wooden card tribute.  Speaking of wood cards, there will also be a wood parallel card (a one of one) to go with the usual parallels (gold cards...surprise, surprise, platinum, and gold parallels in the vein of the diamond parallels from this year).

The design looks great in the wood borders.  Makes me wish that they used the wooden borders, as lifetimetopps said, it would be a great 25 year tribute along the grain (pun intended) with 1962 and 1987 Topps.

I'm starting to like the design.  Maybe they shouldn't have posted the Braun card.  Nothing against the guy from Milwaukee, but the picture used for his card (which is hopefully subject to change) wasn't his best looking shot.

Bring on 2012!!!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Ladies and Gentlemen, Your 2012 Topps Baseball Card Design.

2012 Topps Ryan Braun.

It first showed up on Twitter.  And the number one source in the hobby has confirmed it.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the product that is to be the game-changer for the upcoming year your 2012 Topps Baseball Card!!!

More to come. 

Opinion being formed.  Kind of hard to judge based on one card.  First impressions are everything though.  And as of this moment, this design doesn't inspire "game changing."  Maybe if they posted a few more...

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

What Happened in August...or How I Spent My Vacation

Last August, I wound up in Portland, OR, for work.  This August, I spent a weekend at the Dells of Wisconsin.  With absolutely no Internet access (the computer at the place we were staying was slower than my computer at home), and barely any phone reception (unless we were either downtown or at the nearest Wal-Mart), my family and I remained disconnected from the rest of the world while on vacation.

And let me say that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.  Did I miss any important news in the Hobby world???

Now, Wisconsin Dells is definitely a tourist trap.  With mini golf courses, waterparks galore, roller coasters, museums (Ripley's is there, and some place called the Torture Museum??!), and fudge shops as far as the eye can see, the reason why this place even exists kind of gets lost in the shuffle.  I was here for the Dells, the rock formations carved by the glaciers.  If you've never been up there, you have to go on one of the boat tours (or the Ducks) that take you on the Wisconsin River to see these.  Pictures below.

Black Hawk Rock

Stand Rock.  A dog jumps back and forth on this formation.

Going through Witch's Gulch.



Chimney Rock...or as the tour guide called it "Stack of Pancakes Rock"



All this carved by a glacier millions of years ago...or that's what the guy said.



From where we were sitting, this looked like a piano.




Preacher's Rock...or Pulpit Rock. Can't remember which.


While trying to figure out where to eat for lunch on Saturday, I found myself looking at a shopping guide.  The first shop listed was All-Time Sports and Gifts.  That's right...

A SPORTS CARD SHOP!!!

Just one block south away from all the commotion that is Broadway (the main street of downtown Wisconsin Dells), sits a card shop that has been open for eighteen years.  The shop even has their own tourist flier (the same ones used to advertise the boat rides, museums, and other attractions).  I had to stop in and check the place out.

The slogan of the store is "Not Just Another Card Shop." And it truly isn't.  Yes, they have their share of Packers and U of Wisconsin stuff.  But they display items of teams and colleges from nearby states (fair share of Cubs, Sox, Bears, Tigers, Twins, Vikings, Lions, etc) to make tourists feel a bit at home.  The displays had your usual array of rookie cards, relics, autos, and a bit of vintage to boot.  On the other side were complete sets from the last three decades (if I had a bit more money, I'd have bought those). 

The store owner, Dan, had just cracked open a 2011 Topps Factory set (WHAT??!).  He sells plaques, and needed the cards for them.  I thought he had opened the All-Star set, so I asked him if he had the bonus cards.  Alas, I was wrong, as he showed me five Red Parallel cards (two Cardinals, two Indians, and one Russell Martin).  On an extremely limited budget, I bought a Beckett and two packs of Topps 2.  The prices were reasonable, and as much as I would have liked to buy a pack of Lineage, I couldn't afford to spend any more than I had (the Dells is a tourist trap if I hadn't mentioned it enough already). 

The packs didn't have much to write about, short of a Kris Medlen diamond parallel and a Diamond Giveaway card (still need number 12...anybody???  ANYBODY???).  Let's see what I won.

• 2XB4GBBWp = 1973 Topps Steve Arlin #294 = Cincinnati Reds Diamond Ring

I'm never going to get up to 45 rings at this point.  I'm just happy to get anything.

But now that I am back to civilization, and the kids are just about a week away from going back to school, I'm just glad that things will be going back to normal soon (depending on the definition of normal).

I'm going to make an effort to post a bit more often now.  There are things that need to be done before the end of the baseball season...like:

• The Topps 300 (and then some...).  You remember this little project that I started last November as a response to Topps' own 100-card selection show to determine their Topps 60?  Well, I need to start adding all the choices made by commenters and start the voting process to determine the greatest Topps cards as chosen by the Hobby Blogging Community.
• Adding more to the 2011 Topps Archives Project (the year is almost over!!!)
• Getting ready for the end-of-the-year run of posts that include the annual All-Star Rookie Team prediction contest and the 2011 End of the Year All-Star Teams.
• My National summary.  Everybody else did theirs.  Now it's my turn.

That should be a start.  Let's hope for a great finish. 

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama