But I'd never seen a relic card quite like this until I found it at the Topeka card show this weekend. This is a piece of the Outfield Wall of Three Rivers Stadium that housed the Pirates from 1970 to 2000. Not quite a piece of the Berlin Wall but neat nonetheless.
I had thought I'd found the best air-brushed card ever with this 1971 Topps Dick Williams...little did I know that Topps might have made an even better air-brushed card of Dick Williams himself...
A little while ago I wrote about my enjoyment of Tristar's Obak set and in the comments section of that post Dayf made a comment about how he would have "bought a blaster if Tristar hadn't screwed 'em up." I didn't really know what that meant because I hadn't seen an Obak blaster in person.
Well, I stumbled upon one today and I dig what Dayf was preachin'. I snapped a photo of the blaster in question:
$20 for 4 packs. 4 packs? $5 a pack for retail? Loose [and probably card searched] retail packs are $3 an inch away from the blaster display. Although, you do get a retail exclusive Obama card with the blaster. Don't get me wrong, I love Obama as much as the next guy...as long as the next guy is Michelle Obama. I've drunk the Kool-Aid...you with me? But still this card means nothing to me. Less than nothing considering it's the same photo of Obama with just a different background.
My first pack was highlighted over at A Pack To Be Named Later and here is the second Hobby pack I picked up yesterday. I'm pretty happy that I pulled the two base cards [Ichiro and Ken Griffey Jr. as a Mariner] I was really interested in. Again, I didn't get a hit in my packs but I like the base set more than I initially thought I would.
This isn't just a 1988 Topps George Brett card. It's not actually a card at all. It's a folder with everyone's favorite Royal on it. Inside where some wonderful treasures sent to me from dayf as payback for some packages I've sent his way.
Let's start with some Packers cards. Before there was Favre, there was Majkowski. Before Majkowski, there was Randy Wright. Before Wright, there was Lynn Dickey. While the Packers didn't do so hot [one season above .500] while he was leading the offense, Dickey put up some impressive statistics. Take for example, the 1983 season. Dickey passed for 4,458 yards which is still the team record for the Packers and one of the few records Favre doesn't hold. Dickey also captained the Green & Gold in the highest scoring Monday Night Football game ever in a 48-47 win over the Redskins.
1985 Topps #68 Lynn Dickey
1983 Topps #77 Lynn Dickey
1982 Topps #357 Lynn Dickey
Along with the some great old school packers there were a bunch of Royals. One of my favorites, that I don't think I've highlighted on the blog before, is Willie Wilson. Wilson had a solid career, posting a .285 career average and over 2,200 hits. When he led the league in batting in 1982, he became the first switch-hitter since Mickey Mantle to do that.
With the good, also came some bad. Willie holds the distinction of becoming the first active major league player to serve jail time during the season for attempting to purchase cocaine.
1986 Topps Collector's Series #32 Willie Wilson
1987 Donruss Opening Day #208 Willie Wilson
2003 Topps All-time Fan Favorites #71 Willie Wilson
Dayf also sent me a page of George Brett cards and a bunch of oddballs.
This card has Brett raised above the rest of the card like those great topographic maps we all played with in elementary school.
Topps 3D #5 George Brett
This one has to be about triple the size of a normal card.
1980 Topps Jumbo #14 George Brett
Here are three Bretts that I didn't have yet:
1982 Topps #549 George Brett
1982 Squirt #3 George Brett
1979 Topps #330 George Brett
And this one I have but it is one of the best Brett cards ever. The look of mischief in Brett's eyes makes you wonder what they were talking about seconds before this photo was taken. I would imagine it was regarding someone touching someone else's wood.
1984 Fleer #638 George Brett/Gaylord Perry Pine Tar Incident
And in case you are saying, "George Brett wouldn't think anything like that," check this out:
I've been sorting through my many boxes of common cards and dividing them by team in preparation for a great big giveaway when I come back to blogging full time and as I was mindless sorting the cards I came upon this card.
Somewhere along the line I was sent a TTM or in-person autograph of former Mariners manager and 1965 National League Rookie of the year Jim Lefebvre. I must have passed by it at Mach 3 the first time around and I feel bad I wasn't able to highlight it earlier or send something appropriate back. So, Dear Lefebvre Card Sender, thank you for sending it and I am sorry I missed it the first time.
I physically could not watch the Packers tonight so here are some thoughts on Obak...For even more thoughts on Obak, here's my pack review.
Saying that 2009 Tristar Obak is your favorite retro set of 2009 is a lot like saying your favorite author is H.P. Lovecraft or your favorite band is Dead Kennedys. It's more of a statement of the sets you aren't picking [Allen & Ginter, Goodwin, Heritage, etc...] rather than the set you are. There are clearly better authors than Lovecraft or bands than the Kennedys but maybe you like them because of their imperfect nature. A little pain with your pleasure.
With that being said...here are five packs of Obak...
Today I opened my first box of Hockey cards and it was 18 years in the making as the box was 1991 Topps Stadium Club. This was $3.99 and a purely "just for fun" purchase. As with all the early Stadium Club sets the photography is great with one notable exception:
Historical Campaign Match-Ups Needs List
I'm waiting for Punk Rock Paint to Disney-fi this one like he did the last one...but I imagine he is concocting an entry into Thorzul's Halloween contest that will blow me out of the water again.
My first pack was highlighted over at A Pack To Be Named Later and here is the second Hobby pack I picked up yesterday. I'm pretty happy that I pulled the two base cards [Ichiro and Ken Griffey Jr. as a Mariner] I was really interested in. Again, I didn't get a hit in my packs but I like the base set more than I initially thought I would.
This isn't just a 1988 Topps George Brett card. It's not actually a card at all. It's a folder with everyone's favorite Royal on it. Inside where some wonderful treasures sent to me from dayf as payback for some packages I've sent his way.
Here are three Bretts that I didn't have yet:
1979 Topps #330 George Brett
And this one I have but it is one of the best Brett cards ever. The look of mischief in Brett's eyes makes you wonder what they were talking about seconds before this photo was taken. I would imagine it was regarding someone touching someone else's wood.
Pack 2:
Pack 4:
We came here for a Gretzky card and we get this? 
