Grand Cards: A Repurposing

Friday, November 12, 2010

A Repurposing

In 2009 I was the winner of my fantasy baseball division. The prize, aside from some much needed cash, was a framed display of my team in baseball card form. The cards slid perfectly in back, and the matting was custom cut to accommodate the appropriate number of vertical and horizontal 2009 Topps cards. At the bottom was a little plaque declaring my team the winner.

For more than a year this hung proudly next to my desk in my office. It attracted a good deal of attention from "What is that" to "You won with that team?" at which point I would remind them that Adam Lind had a huge year and Brad Bergeson was in impact rookie, and don't forget about Heath Bell before trailing off and realizing the impossibility of my team that year. Then I'd say something that extolled my greatness as a manager which is all that counts anyway, except, it turns out that totally isn't true.

Anyway, last week we shifted our office around and I was treated to a double-wide cube in a more desirable location (WINDOWS!), and with the reconfiguration, there just wasn't a good place for the frame to go. So home it went.

And as much as I like staring at Alexei Ramirez and Gerald Laird and Rick Porcello base cards, I'm a person who actually collects baseball cards and it struck me as silly that I wasn't using the frame to actually showcase cards that I really like. Problem solved:

Behold, all of my framed autograph cards from Allen & Ginter and Topps 206. This happened to work out perfectly (at least until my Rick Porcello Redemption is shipped from Topps, or if I can miraculously get a 2010 A&G Cabrera), but even if things change over the next couple years, I can always swap out one of my Three Ryan Perry cards, or multiple Scherzers or Grandersons or Clete Thomas, if I want. I'm very happy with how this turned out and especially thrilled that I have a safe place for my prized possession (the Miguel Cabrera on top). The Horizontal slots presented a bit of a problem, but wanting to keep the aesthetic intact, I think that the two A&G Rip Cards fit the bill pretty well.

So there it is. My new little showcase piece that will hang above my desk at home.

What do you think?