This Just In: Ticket To Stardom

I've had many many cards come across my desk recently, and I'm still trying to get a handle on all of them, and take my pictures, and put in binders and categorize and mark off checklists etc. So, in the event that you've been reading this blog for the last two weeks and thought to yourself: "Boy, I like these checklists and "Grand Schemes" and all, but what happened to the good ol' normal posts that used to happen over here?" rest assured, those aren't going anywhere. See?

2009 Topps Ticket To Stardom #101 Curtis Granderson

Here's everyone's favorite 2009 release, Topps Ticket To Stardom. Wait, I'm being told that people really, really don't like it. My mistake. But hold on a second--I'm looking at the card above and I'm thinking "Hmm...not so bad" It's a good shot of Curtis, in which he stands out boldly and extends beyond the frame. The background is the rest of the game, seemingly faded out of importance when Granderson comes to the plate and rays of light shoot up from the ground. All that is fine. I get the ticket motif too. Eh, it isn't the best, but it really is no big deal. I kind of like how it is done.

2009 Topps Ticket To Stardom #101 Curtis Granderson (Die Cut Parallel)

Oh. This is a parallel that is barely different. You might remember that as being one of my biggest complaints about parallels. But wait, I've got more bad news. There are more parallels that are almost equally indistinguishable. Combine that with the fact that if you were actually trying to collect a set of these cards, you would probably start to get sick of them really, really fast. Still, I suppose that it could be worse--he could have a "coveted" ticket stub game that has nothing to do with anything.