Baseball packs from the Alley family

In the early days of this blog, back in 2008, I was contacted by a reader whose boys were mad football (soccer) fans. They supported Everton and had difficulty purchasing football related items and since I was in the United Kingdom would I mind sending some soccer 'stuff' their way. In exchange they would send me some baseball 'stuff'.
This seemed like a nice arrangement, so I duly obliged and send football magazines, stickers, packs and a badge or two.
Little did I expect to receive a large assortment of baseball packs in return.
Packages go back and forth between us about two or three times a year, when new football cards or stickers are released a package works it way to North Carolina and then a baseball package will find its way to Westgate-on-Sea. I look forward to these surprise packages immensely, always jam packed full of baseball pack loveliness.
This Saturday another Alley pack arrived on my doorstep.
The contents:
5 packs 2013 Topps Heritage
3 Jumbo packs of 2013 Opening Day
6 packs of 2013 Opening Day
2 rack packs of 2013 Topps Series 1
2 packs of Topps Series 1
1 block(60 cards)  of 2013 Topps Series 1
1 pack of 2012 Triple Play
1 pack of 2012 Opening day
1 pack of 2011 Opening day
1 rack pack 2011 Bowman
2 packs 2011 Topps Chrome
1 pack of 2008 UD First Edition
1 pack of 2008 Topps
1 pack of 2007 Fleer Ultra
2 packs of 1989 Donruss

So there is some junk wax, who cares, these are packs of baseball cards.

You just have to love the internet and how it connects people from all over the world.

2012 Topps Archives Blaster

If you have followed this blog at all in the past 4 years, you will know that one of my favourite baseball cards sets is the 1980 Topps. It's not the prettiest, there are no game used, autographs, short printed, shiny X fractors to find. Just a simple straight 726 cards to collect.

There are some challenges hidden amongst the checklist, everyone knows about the Rickey Henderson RC, but Nolan Ryan, Pete Rose, George Brett and Ozzie Smith are valued pretty high. Just don't tell COMC as there are about 70 Nolan Ryan's for sale, a $15.00 card can be bought for about $1.50, the O-Pee-Chee variation for about $5.00.

Topps used the 1980 design as part of the 2012 Archives and as I one of the card carrying members 1980 Topps Appreciation Society, I felt strongly compelled to collect all 50 cards in the 1980 design.

Follow my slow trawl.

In an effort to boost my fledgling collection, I purchased a blaster. I would buy a box but the postage costs are too high, etc, etc...I've said it all before.

The blaster contains 8 packs and each pack has 8 picture cards.

 

Pack 1:
#28 Melky Cabrera Giants
#44 Cal Ripkin Jr Orioles
#84 Nyjer Morgamn Brewers
#136 David Ortiz Red Sox
#139 Ivan Nova Yankees
#187 Nolan Ryan Astros
#190 Josh Hamilton Rangers
#683D-JV Joey Votto

Pack 2:
#34 Jaime Garcia Cardinals
#37 Jose Valverde Tigers
#80 Troy Tulowitzki Rockies
#87 Clay Buchholz Red Sox
#125 David Freese Cardinals
#154 Starlin Castro Cubs
#175 Justin Morneau Twins
#176 Wilie McCovey Giants gold stamp

Pack 3:
#17 Mat Latos Reds
#47 Drew Pomeranz Rockies
#69 Ryan Zimmerman Nationals
#98 Johan Santana Mets
#120 Tim Lincecum Giants
#148 R.A.Dickey Mets
#195 Brandon Morrow Blue Jays
#77C-EH Eric Hosmer

Pack 4:
#8 Matt Moore
#12 Pablo Sandoval Giants
#61 Brain McCann Braves
#65 Jordan Zimmermann Nationals
#105 Torii Hunter Angels
#171 Lucas Duda Mets
#151 Stephen Strasburg Nationals
#530 Dave Winfield Padres gold stamp

Pack 5:
#41 Corey Hart Brewers
#42 Aroldis Chapman Reds
#53 Adam Wainwright Cardinals
#67 Justin Verlander Tigers
#118 Desmond Jennings Bay Rays
#141 J.P.Arencibia Blue Jays
#169 Michael Morse Nationals
#67S-TL Tim Lincecum sticker

Pack 6:
#2 Nick Swisher Yankees
#40 Nelson Cruz Rangers
#58 Tommy Hanson Braves
#111 John Axford Brewers
#117 George Brett Royals
#162 Jayson Werth Nationals
#168 Carlos Santana Indians
#69DE-15 Joe Morgan deckle edge

Pack 7:
#78 Micuel Montero D-backs
#94 Anibal Sanchez Marlins
#130 Giancarlo Stanton Marlins
#145 Howie Kendrick Angels
#173 Daniel Hudson D-backs gold parallel
#192 Brad Peacock Athletics
#199 Mark Reynolds Orioles
#218 Dave Righetti Yankees SP

Pack 8:
#18 Tom Seaver Mets
#52 Geovany Soto Cubs
#57 Josh Beckett Red Sox
#102 Dee Gordon Dodgers
#109 Cliff Lee Phillies
#152 Johnny Cueto Reds
#159 David Price Bay Rays
#227 John Olerud Blue Jays SP

Blaster breakdown:
13 1954 Topps
14 1971 Topps
14 1980 Topps (9 needed)
14 1984 Topps
1 gold parallel
2 short prints
2 gold stamped reprints
1 1977 cloth insert
1 1967 sticker
1 1969 deckle edge
1 1968 3D

This is such a nice set.

30 Unopened packs of baseball Cards

It doesn't happen very often but when it does... I'm talking about unopened packs of baseball cards on eBayUK. Just last week, a seller put five lots of unopened baseball cards up for auction, I was lucky enough to win four of them, I was hoping for the fifth but was beaten out. Hopefully it went to the good home of one of my fellow UK card bloggers.
All the packs are from 2002/3, Donruss and Upper Deck. I have a sneaking suspicion that they are from repack boxes because there is clear plastic glue on the back or front of about 5 packs.
Some of these sets are familiar, but most were new to me.
Included was;

1999 Upper Deck Powerdeck 1pack,

2001 Donruss Studio 4packs,

2002 Upper Deck Rookie Debut  pack,

2002 Donruss Fan Club 5packs,

2002 Donruss 1pack,

2003 Upper Deck First Pitch 4packs,

2003 Upper Deck Series 1 2packs,

2003 Upper Deck Series 2 2packs,

2003 Upper Deck MVP 2packs,

2003 Upper Deck Standing O!  2packs,

2003 Donruss Team Heroes 2packs,

2003 Upper Deck Honor Roll 2packs,

2003 Upper Deck 40 Man 2packs.

They were delivered in a lovely big brown paper covered brick. I'm not ashamed to say it was a tad exciting. There was only one draw back - postage. It started as £15.00, I was able to knock it down to £8.00, knowing full well that it wouldn't come close to that. The actual postage cost was £2.80. I'm not sure why sellers do this and it is one thing that puts me right off eBay.
But look at all these unopened packs, such a glorious sight.
I will be cracking them open at Pursuit of Red Sox, my bold mission to collect Red Sox cards from packs and complete the occasional set.
All other cards will go into various trade piles.

Searching for US Sports cards in the UK

I know for a fact that there are no baseball cards in my locality. I have searched high and higher but to no avail. Whenever I go someone new, much to the annoyance of my family, I will search toy shops, gaming shops and hobby shops. This is just in case, on the off chance, that they may have mistakenly ordered baseball cards rather than the LOST or Wrestle Mania cards.
The store I visited on my holidays to Dorset was in Dorchester, the old Roman city of Dumovaria. Which incidentally was, in the 17th Century, at the centre of the Puritan emigration to America. The local rector, John White, organised the settlement of Dorchester in Massachusetts.

Anyway the store I visited had a huge display of cards, a variety that I hadn't seen for awhile and a discount bin!!! The cards on displayed consisted mostly of Pokemon, Yugioh and some Warcraft? type cards. No joy there, but the discount bid had a range of sports cards (this is England, so the cards were all football) and some TV/movie related items-James Bond predominately, the LOST cards, Harry Potter, Tomb Raider and Star Trek.

But none of the cards that I hope to one day find buried deep , mistakenly ordered by an absent minded shop assistant, who thinking they had placed an order for the latest Yugioh cards but were delivered baseball cards instead. I can dream...

I opted for some cheap James Bond inkworks packs and a interesting pack of 'Rocketman'. Maybe next time.

1980 Topps Baseball

I know everyone has a blog.

They come and go quicker than a politicians promises.

I have started to complete some card trades and wanted to keep a record of the comings and goings, while in pursuit of the 1980 TOPPS BASEBALL complete set.

It all started in 1980 and this was the card that did it.

Card Number 320 Dennis Eckersley.

I knew nothing about baseball or baseball card collecting.

I knew nothing about Dennis Eckersley.

I knew nothing about his home town of Bay Village.

I didn't know where Fenway Park was.

I didn't know what ERA was.

I didn't know....

Well I didn't know a lot of stuff.

But I have spent the last 28 years finding out and collecting a few cards in the process.

It wasn't until two years ago that I made a serious effort to collect the 1980's.

Baseball cards are a rare item in the United Kingdom. E-bay has opened a few doors. For a while I tried to buy every card, every pack and programme that was listed in the UK. It was easy. There wasn't that much, there still isn't. I asked anyone I knew who was visiting the United States to buy me some cards. I amassed a decent collection in the 90's and 00's but the cards from earlier were the 'holy grail'. They eluded me.

Then to my surprise cards from the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's appeared on E-bay.

I bid and bid and bid.

I won some and lost most.

I decided to become more selective and set myself some goals.

1. To collect packs and only packs,
2. To collect a pack of baseball cards from every year starting at 1980, from the major manufacturers, Topps, Fleer, Bowman, Donruss and Upper Deck,
3. To collect Red Sox cards.

And more recently;

1. To collect Heritage, Retro and Oddball cards,
2. To collect some game used and autograph cards,
3. To collect the complete set of 1980's Topps baseball cards (all 726 of them).

By chance I discovered 'A Pack a Day' blog and from there 'Stale Gum', 'White Sox Cards', 'Thorzul will Rule', 'The Baseball Card Blog', 'Wax Heaven' and many more (check out the Baseball Card Blog Roll)

It opened a whole new world of card collecting. I intend to record my trades, discoveries and thoughts on card collecting. I don't intend on being a prolific writer just enough to keep an accurate record.

Please feel free to share your comments.