A few weeks ago I was faced with a dilemma. Do I go out and buy a hobby or hta box of Topps Series 2 or do I just buy the cards that I need individually. There are obviously tradeoffs associated with each option. With a box I get the (usually fun) element of surprise, a better memory and cards to trade with to get the ones that I really need. Buying individually, I get exactly what I want, but nothing more. There is the risk that the final achievement may feel lessened.
At the time, a Hobby box was around $60 and an HTA was $125. That second number has fallen to about $95-100, so that's what I'll go with. I decided, given my current financial situation, that it would make the most sense to try and complete the set via individual purchases and that I would track each purchase to see how it matched up to the budget of one HTA or Hobby box.
Since then, the cards have started to come in, starting with the team set.
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| 2009 Topps #339 Jim Leyland |
The skipper himself leads off the set, in a rare and awesome action shot. While I think that a better action shot would be in the tense moment when a chainsmoking leyland tries to light a new cigarette with the dying embers of an old one in the tunnel to the clubhouse, I guess this will do.
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| 2009 Topps #458 Jeremy Bonderman |
Bonderman rejoined the team last week to pitch for the first time in a year, after recovering from an odd blood clot in his shoulder. He was shelled and went on the DL again yesterday. The latest reports are looking at a September return, at best. What a sad story.
The budding star, rookie of the year contender makes his regular issue baseball card debut for us in this set as well. I was expecting to have to wait until Updates & Highlights, so this is a pleasant surprise.
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| 2009 Topps #658 Rick Porcello |
Maggs, Looking a little apprehensive as if thinking, "hey, where has all of my power gone?" Spit and be happy, my friend, spit and be happy.
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| 2009 Topps #395 Magglio Ordonez |
And finally...WHAT?
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| 2009 Topps #529 Fernando Rodney |
THEY GOT IT RIGHT!
And so ends the first installment of Tigers that I need to complete my Series 2 set. The base team set put me back $3.25 with $2.25 shipping. I will be keeping track of total costs for this set in the sidebar (under the Running Tally, where else?) to see just how much it costs to put it together. I will presumably perform some sort of analysis on this when it is all said and done. With many inserts, relics and such to go this will be a fun and exhausting set to put together.
