A Couple Packages From Colbey

The greatness that has been showing up in my mailbox has been amazing.  Colbey from the fine blog, Cardboard Collections, held one of his cheapo group breaks recently.  He always busts a wide variety of products which is usually boxes from the 90s. The prices are low and the cards are always cool looking.  Colbey usually picks boxes that not many collectors have a lot of cards from.  This makes his breaks new and fresh.

This is the freshness that I am talking about.  These are two cards from 1999 EX Century Skybox.  These cards are made of plastic and have the thickness of a credit card.  Skybox also added some holographic shine to the card.  This makes the cards even classier.

I was luck enough to get the Orioles as my second team for this break.  The Dodgers were my first team of course.  Colbey did a nice enough job pulling a lot of Cal Ripken cards for me and a healthy dose of Dodgers.  I also dig seeing Ripken listed as a third baseman.  I know that I watched him play third base but, I still think of him as a beast shortstop.

Colbey also opened up some packs of 1997 Stadium Club.  This was one of the better sets of the 90s.  The cards were super glossy and the photography was world class.  This is a Mike Piazza Stadium Slugger card.    This photo is perfectly framed and shows Piazza lacing a line drive down the left field line.

Here are a couple more 1997 Stadium Club cards that I got in the group break.  These are from the base set.  The photo of HOFer Roberto Alomar is top notch.  Alomar was such a smooth second baseman.  He truly was a joy to watch field his position.  The Rauuul Mondesi card shows him rounding the bases on a ball he crushed in the gap at Wrigley.

Please Topps, bring back the Stadium Club.  We, as collectors, need a set that focuses on photography more than we need another vintage set or a high end set that I will never purchase.

Pinnacle sets make me feel nostalgic for the 90s.  Pinnacle makes me feel like listening to Alice in Chains and wearing JNCO jeans. I wish that Pinnacle never went away.  There sets always looked unique and pushed Topps and Upper Deck to step there game up.

That is what needs to happen in today's collecting world.  Topps needs somebody to push them for something greater than simplicity.  Maybe Pannini can do that this year.  But, I am not really into logo less photos or autos of 18 year old draftees.

Keep up on the breaks, Colbey.  I love taking a trip down 90s lane.

Directions to an Interesting Group Break

A blog with a super cool name is hosting a box break.  This may be his first one that he is hosting.  I haven't joined a break at Juust a Bit Outside before but, I signed up for this one.  Sorry, fellow Doyer fans, I have already claimed the boys in blue.  But, there are still plenty of other good teams available.  This group break covers a lot of different years which is the type of variety I enjoy. 

Please head on over to the blog called Juust a Bit Outside to claim a team.

Group Break and Trade Recap

I got to join a cheap break over at Cardboard Collections and also worked out a trade with Colbey.  I had pretty good luck in this break.  Colbey busted open some 1994 Fleer Extra Bases and some 1995 Sportflix.  I didn't have many Dodgers from these sets.  Actually, I didn't have any of the super sized Extra Bases cards.

Here is what the 1994 Extra Bases set looks like.  Some of you guys may remember that these cards were thinner and taller than the average card.  Colbey, also hooked me up with some pages to put these cards in.  I remember as a kid, staying away from this set due to the difficulty of storing them.  That is probably why a set like this has never caught on and became more popular.

These cards are awesome!  This was the main reason that I signed up for this break.  I love the design of the rookie cards.  They have a reggae color scheme.  Looking at the Chan Ho Park card makes me want to lay on the beach and smoke a joint.

Sorry, for the photo of the Piazza card.  It was hard getting a solid photo of this set.  But, trust me, the card looks good.

The two cards above are from a trade that Colbey and I worked out.  I love that Tommy Lasorda card.  I believe that photo was taken at Candlestick Park and Tommy is telling the Giants fans to "kiss his ass."  I really need to get a team jacket like that.  It has a classic look to it and I don't see too many Doyer fans wearing that style anymore.  MLB uses a different material now on there team jackets.

The Raul Mondesi card is a nice hustle picture of him.  I am certain that this photo was also taken against the Giants with Rauuuul legging out a triple.  Do you guys know the name of this set?  I believe it is 1999 Fleer.  I haven't seen it before and I really dig it.  It has stars and stripes which is awesome because America is awesome.  It also has a feel of a retro card which, I am a huge fan of.  Please let me know so, I can try and find more from this set.

This was the big return on the trade.  I sent a Gary Sheffield GU over to Cardboard Collections and I got this 2011 Topps Adrian Beltre in return.  I was a big fan of Beltre when he was wearing Dodger blue.  He had a magical season in 2004, leading the Dodgers to the division title.  2004 was his walk year and he left to play for the Seattle Mariners.  I should have known that Frank McCourt was a snake back then when he made a half assed attempt to re-sign Beltre.  I know now that he won't give out a contract of over 3 years.  That doesn't get you the top free agents.

Thanks for hosting a cool break and thanks for the trade, Colbey!

Group Break Sweetness From Heaven

It seemed that for a little while there, that group breaks were popping off all over the blog universe.  I joined as many as I could.  Especially group breaks that I felt would yield a stack of Dodgers.  So, I signed up for a group break over at Cardboard Heaven and I wasn't disappointed.  Cam was the host and he was opening up some Gypsy Queen along with some other products. 

I still haven't actually opened a pack of Gypsy Queen myself.  At this point, I may never open any.  I have gotten a lot of Dodgers through trades from that set.  Cam's group break was very kind to me.  He sent me a lot of Dodgers from that set.

He pulled some Matt Kemp cards for me.  The paper parallel is numbered to 999.  Kemp is on a tear.  He just dominated the Reds over the weekend.  Kemp is on his way to the All-Star game and I hope he gets enough votes to be a starter.  He has earned it this year.  The next owner of the Dodgers should lock Kemp up long term.  That will go a long way to restoring some faith between ownership and the Dodger fan base.

The Gypsy Queen set also has cards of Dodger legends from the glory days.  Duke Snider pops up a lot in modern card sets but Sandy Koufax does not.  Getting any card with Koufax on it is great.  New or old it doesn't matter.  Koufax is a God in the Spiegel household.  Now, if I could only pull an autograph of his.

The insert sets in Gypsy Queen are very cool.  These two cards are from an insert set called "The Great Ones."  Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese belong in a set stating there greatness.  I may have most of the Dodger insert cards from Gypsy Queen already.  I will have to double check.

Cam also opened up a blaster of 2009 Upper Deck.  The 2009 Upper Deck blaster guaranteed one GU per box.  Luckily, the box that Cam opened contained a jersey card of ex-Dodger Chin-Lung Huuuuuu.  I have no idea how Huuuuuuu is doing as a Met.  Maybe I should've done some research before I started writing this.  I wish Huuuuuu the best of luck.  I am also sure that he is a better utility infielder than 58 year old current Dodger Juan Castro.  But, Castro must have some tricks up his sleeve has he is a 4 time Dodger.  No idea how that is possible.  Castro will probably end up managing the Dodgers someday so, I won't be too harsh towards him because he will be in Dodger blue for the next several decades.  I'll give that last statement the Spiegel Guarantee.

I will give a big Thank You to Cardboard Heaven for hosting an awesome group break.