Elsewhere in Cyperspace: Topps Backlash Edition

My full thoughts on the "Topps screwed us all with this retail BS" situation are now up on the Cardboard Connection. No, it's not just me up on a soapbox.

Here's an excerpt from the full article:

By pulling what was essentially a bait and switch, Topps has screwed the whole thing up. Sure, people may buy a blaster for the novelty, but they have wrecked the set and team collectors that were looking forward to this release. It is now either financially impossible or simply too frustrating to go after these cards in their limited release and they will turn elsewhere.

In writing this, I looked back on the first article I wrote about these retail cards, back when I was excited for their release. I couldn't help but notice what now appears to be an ominous closing paragraph:

So now, with Series 2 upon us, I can’t wait for Topps to tell us which UPC codes to use this time so that the chase can begin. Somehow, through some dark magic that I will never understand, Topps has gotten me excited to collect three versions of the same basic set. Kudos. Just don’t do something tricky or secret to screw it all up. We may be idiots, but we’re not dumb.

No, we're not. Read the full article, "Topps To Collectors: Drop Dead" over at the Cardboard Connection.

Official Topps Response

Regarding our beloved "Black" and "Throwback" cards:

Due to an overwhelming response from our customers, we adapted the Series 2 product to include 2 black or throwback parallel packs, depending on the specific blaster exclusive. We always strive to take the customer opinions into account and develop our products in ways that will assist as many of our customers as possible. Unfortunately, we do not have any plans to release all black or throwback blasters at Target or Walmart currently for Series 2.[ed: emphasis mine] We will, of course, forward any information or suggestions that you have in regards to these products to the brand management teams for review and consideration for future product.

I've got a crazy day at work today, but I wanted to get this out here. I'll be writing a full commentary on all of this, most likely to be posted on the Cardboard Connection.

Good Retail Cards Erase Bad Retail Thoughts

I'm still privately stewing over this whole black/throwback thing. I'm interested to hear Topps' response to my email, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how this is anything but greedy greediness at hand.

So, to temporarily forget my troubles, I turned to some Topps and Walmart Exclusives that don't upset me. Since it's 2009, and Topps and the Tigers, it can only mean one thing: Tyrus Raymond himself.

2009 Topps #GR-5 Ty Cobb Gold Refractor (Target)

This little number comes all the way back from Series 1, as the Target cereal box exclusive. It uses the same picture as his regular legends of the game card, but it's gold and refractory, which is always a plus. Strangely, Cobb didn't have a Wal Mart equivalent, which meant that I didn't even need to consider going into a Wal Mart to buy cards (except for those pesky "black" cards. Wait, here come those feelings again...) Hurry, to the next one!

2009 Topps #GR-13 Ty Cobb Gold Refractor (Target)

Ooh, that's what I'm talking about. This one is even nicer. I don't know what it is, but that Series 1 shot of Cobb doesn't do it for me. This time, they change things up and give you one big straight-on headshot. You get full details of the old uniform (is that a safety pin?), the slightly different "English D" before time passed and it because the Old English D we know today, and we see Ty Cobb. I don't know if there is a more appropriate look for him. At the same time, he looks serious and a little pissed, with a glint in his eye that says "I am the greatest, just try to beat me." You can tell from this shot alone that his nasty reputation was earned, but that he was one hell of a competitor.

Wal Mart has a version too. It is the same, minus a card color switcheroo:

2009 Topps #PR-15 Ty Cobb Platinum Refractor (WalMart)

Look at those dates: 1905-1928.

1. That was a really long time ago.
2. He played for 23 years!
3. He never won a World Series. The Tigers won their first in 1935. It wasn't for lack of trying though. The Tigers played in the World Series in 1907, 1908 and 1909, losing each time. Cobb was decidedly un-cobb-like in the first and the last, batting .200 and .231 respectively. In that 1908 series it wasn't for lack of trying though. Cobb hit .368 with 4 RBI, 2 SB and an .821 OPS, which is pretty solid. Oh, and he was only 21 at the time. Imagine that after age 22, arguably the greatest player of all time never played in another World Series.

Oh, what's that you say? Not the greatest of all time? Well, I'm sure you have your reasons. However, let me say two things:
1. When he was inducted to the inaugural Hall of Fame class, he got more votes than any other player, including the revered Babe Ruth. This tells me that, among people who actually saw him play, (and despite his sour demeanor) Cobb was considered the greatest player of his era.

Point number two:


If not the greatest, he was pretty darn good. I think that is something we can all agree on.

Group Break Chaos: Topps "Black" and "Throwback"

This is why we wait...

NachosGrande is on it, Hand Collated is pissed, and the rest of us are just searching for answers.

Indeed, I have been to the mountaintop, but there is no promised land before us. I went to my own walmart today to find that there were specially marked blasters there, with "black background parallels" seeded in 2 packs per blaster. The serial number on these had the "13" that Dayf told us to keep our eyes out for. At this point, it seems as though the walmart "black" cards (and presumably the throwbacks at target) are seeded at 2 packs per blaster.

I have emailed Topps and await their response. For now, the Retail Group Breaks are on indefinite hold, as it makes zero sense to buy blasters of this product with only two parallel packs in them. I'll let you know what I discover. Also, I'm anticipating a more extensive post about this at the Cardboard Connection, as they have a bit wider of a distribution than yours truly.

Give us the truth, Topps and the truth will set you free.

Topps Throwback/Black Group Break Update

So far, I am yet to find the blasters containing these cards "in the wild." In fact, I haven't seen the cards themselves on eBay yet, indicating that they haven't made their way into stores yet. If I recall, the Series 1 blasters were supposed to be released after the regular issue, but were released simultaneously. It is possible that Series 2 variations will come as a second wave.

In the meantime, I will continue to be vigilant in tracking these down, and I ask all the group breakers to be patient. As soon as I see or hear of them existing I will give you full instructions to send payment. I'm waiting until then because I see no reason for you to send money now for such delayed gratification.

To rehash the specifics (full details here) we will bust 3 or 4 Blasters, based on availability, from Walmart to get the "Black" base cards. We will do the same at Target to get the "Throwbacks". If we do 3 blasters cost is $6 per break. 4 blasters will cost $7.50. ALL PRICES INCLUDE SHIPPING. You will receive all cards from your team, including the base variations, inserts, commemorative patches, autographs, relics and anything else that is pulled.

We are an official go on the break, but still have spots available. Leave a comment if you'd like to fill in the blanks.

Here's the list as it currently stands:

AL WEST
Angels: I Heart Halos--Both Breaks
Rangers:
A's:
Mariners:

AL CENTRAL
Tigers: Grand Cards--Both Breaks
Indians: Baseball Dad--Both Breaks
White Sox:
Royals:
Twins:

AL EAST
Red Sox: Thoughts & Sox--Both Breaks
Yankees: Flash--Both Breaks
Blue Jays: Blue Jays Cards--Both Breaks
Orioles:
Rays:

NL WEST
Dodgers: Night Owl--Both Breaks
Dbacks: Tim Rooks--Both Breaks
Giants:
Padres:
Rockies:

NL CENTRAL
Cubs: Lake Effect Cards--Both Breaks
Cardinals:
Astros:
Brewers:
Reds:
Pirates

NL EAST:
Marlins: Wicked Orteaga--Both Breaks
Phillies: Dan (The Other World)--Both Breaks
Mets: --David (Tribe Cards)--Both Breaks
Nationals: NatsTown--Both Breaks
Braves: Capt. Canuck--WALMART ONLY

RANDOM TEAM (From Unclaimed Teams)
1. --David (Tribe Cards)

Group Break is On (but not full)!

But first, a future baseball card shot, perhaps?


This is from Curtis Granderson's Game-Tying, 9th inning, 2-out Home Run last night (from the Detroit News). Sadly, the Tigers lost in the bottom of the inning. In my cry for more Curtis Granderson non-running action shots in cards, I thought that this one would do nicely.

Onto the real news, the Group Break for Topps Series 2 variation cards (black and throwback) from Target and Walmart is now officially on, thanks to NatsTown claiming the Nationals from the set. That gives us 14 teams, which means that we are a go!

But that's not all, there are still plenty of great teams left, some of which I know have card-blog followings. Here's what's left, as of this morning:

AL West: A's, Mariners, Rangers
AL Central: White Sox, Twins, Royals
AL East: Rays, Orioles

NL West: Giants, Rockies, Padres
NL Central: Pirates, Reds, Cardinals, Astros, Brewers
NL East: Braves

Click on the link for all the specifics and you can either leave your comment over there or on this post if you would like one of the available teams.
It's only $6 including shipping to get three blasters worth of your team of choice, including inserts etc. ($7.50 if we can find four blasters), and you can choose just the Walmart break, just the Target break or both!

As soon as these blasters become available, I will be on the lookout for them, so stay tuned. Once I find them, I will require payment before the break goes forward, just like last time.

Topps "Black" and "Throwback" Group Break Update

Word on the street is that Series 2 blasters are starting to creep out. I haven't seen the Topps Black versions (Walmart) or the Throwback ones (Target) but I will now officially be keeping my eyes open. In the meantime, the list for the Topps "Black" and "Throwback" Group Break remains open.

There are plenty of good teams still available, so go to here and leave a comment to claim yours. We still need (at least) three more teams for the green light.

Topps Series 2 Walmart & Target Retail Parallel Group Breaks Are Coming!

That is one mouthful of a title.

Once upon a time, Walmart and Target decided to sell parallel sets (in "Black" and "Throwback/Retro" flavors) in secret blasters denoted by a serial number. With Series 2 having unofficially found its way to shelves last week, we can only assume that Target and Walmart will continue their parallel retail sets and I, for one, want to get my hands on those Tigers.

So, let's do this thing again! Just like last time, I will hold group breaks right here for the Walmart and Target Parallel Blasters. There will be separate breaks for each set, at a price of $6 per team, including shipping. Like last time, we will need 14 teams to be chosen for the break to go forward and 3 blasters will be broken of each set. I am announcing this now so that people have more than a 3-day window to get a team's claim in.

Now, there is the off-chance that I will be able to get a 4th blaster of each set, which would be downright wonderful. If that is the case the fee would increase to $7.50 per team to cover the cost of that 4th box. Of course, all of this is contingent on my actually finding the cards, which was quite the challenge last time (at least now I know where to go, hopefully), and the fact that these blasters exist for Series 2 and that the serial numbers are again made available so that we can distinguish them from regular blasters.

Starting now, consider this post the official team-claiming page for these Group Breaks. In the comments section, please indicate the team(s) you would like to claim and which breaks (Walmart, Target, Both) you would like to participate in. You do not need to pay yet. I will provide updates as necessary as details become clear. You do not need a blog to participate, but if I haven't dealt with you before advance payment/deposit may be required (TBD) I'll get things started:

Grand Cards: Tigers--Both
Greg (Lake Effect Cards): Cubs--Both
Night Owl: Dodgers--Both
Adam E (Thoughts & Sox): Red Sox--Both
Tim Rooks: Dbacks--Both
Baseball Dad (All Tribe Baseball): Indians--Both
RWH (I Heart Halos): Angels--Both
Doubleplay (Blue Jays Cards) Blue Jays--Both
Wicked Orteaga: Marlins--Both
Flash: Yankees--Both
Dan (The Other World): Phillies--Both
--David (Tribe Cards): Mets--Both
--David (Tribe Cards): Random Team #1--Both
Jonathan (NatsTown): Nationals--Both

Mail Day!

When I walked in the door last night, I was greeted with the most wonderful sight of all...a yellow padded envelope. This one was courtesy of Baseball Dad over at All Tribe Baseball who decided to send me a package out of the goodness of his heart. And what a package it was!

Following up on my completion of the Topps "Black" Tigers set, I set my sights on the Target Throwbacks. Having only pulled 3 in the group break, I was thrilled to see two new additional starting back at me when I opened the envelope up.

The first was of a diving Edgar Renteria, showing the athleticism and range that were notably absent during his time in Detroit. I actually think that he performed better than the prevailing wisdom would indicate, but was still the uninspired result of what may still go down as being the worst trade in Tigers history.

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #253 Edgar Renteria

The next shot is of former Catcher/Utility Player/3rd Baseman/Catcher, and current 3rd Baseman Brandon Inge. Here he is showing of his Catcher's gear for the first time since 2004. Also, when I first thought this, I thought that it was some bad-ass post action shot or walk back to the dugout after an inning ending putout picture. Then I saw the Gatorade bottle in the glove and realized that he's probably walking from the bullpen to the bench on a day when Pudge Rodriguez was starting, which is kind of sad:

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #34 Brandon Inge

Here's his last Topps card as a catcher, performing a very nice no-look tag:

2004 Topps #199 Brandon Inge

Those two cards chopped my wantlist for the throwbacks down to 4. But the real gem of the package is what came next:

2009 Topps Attax Curtis Granderson

Now, there doesn't seem to be a number on these cards, and I didn't realize that he his the change-up with enough proficiency to warrant a "94" on the Topps Attax scale of which I have no working knowledge, but this card is fantastic--and the first 2009 Granderson that I've received from the goodness of another blogger's heart. With only 16 Granderson cards released in 2009 sets to date, this card was actually a great leap forward for my collection so far this year.

Thanks Baseball Dad and may your future packs be loaded with Indians!

Breaking Down the Group Break: Target "Throwback" Edition

Well, that actually went pretty well! Maybe not quite as well as the last break, as two of the Commemorative Patch cards were unclaimed and the third blaster was full of doubles. However, we pulled some different cards, and on balance, most teams actually came away the same or better than they did on the last break. Perhaps taking some of the luster off of this break was the fact that these cards just aren't as unique or cool as the Walmart "Black" cards, so pulling a typical player doesn't carry with it the same cache as it did in the other break.

Having spent the better part of a day sorting through and looking at these cards, I have found that I actually like them a lot. The common complaint that I've heard is that they are not really distinguishable from the base set. That is true. The "throwback" logo on the front is really not that special--at least not as special as I would have expected it to feel when I first saw the cards. Yet, as is often the case in card collecting, the pictures do not do these cards justice. Printing this set on a gray cardboard stock is tremendous. Even if it didn't harken back to my days as a young collector, these cards just feel "right." If you pulled a person off of the street and stuck one of these cards in their right hand and a regular base card in their left and asked them to close their eyes and tell you which one they prefer, they would go with these throwbacks. They are that much nicer to handle.

Therein lies the problem. By releasing these cards after the initial release of Series 1, most people have already bought the regular cards. If they've decided to pursue the set, there is little motivation to pursue a set of the "throwbacks" as well. Contrast that to the "Black" cards, which are fundamentally different in both look and feel and that extra motivation is there. However, in the event that somebody was on the fence about collecting the set and stumbled upon the "throwbacks," I believe that they would choose to collect that set over the regular issue. Maybe I don't know enough about these things, but Topps should learn a lesson from this--could it be time to switch the regular set back to cardboard? I know there have been calls for this from other blogs, but here is the first direct comparison from cards from the same set and I think the cardboard wins out. I wouldn't mind seeing what they look like in a Matte finish too, but baby steps, people.

So, back to our break (In alphabetical order of Claimed teams):

Angels: 6 Throwbacks
Cubs: 5 Throwbacks, 1 Toppstown
Dodgers: 7 Throwbacks (1 Double)
Indians: 9 Throwbacks (3 Doubles), 4 Toppstown (3 Doubles), 1 Toppstown Gold
Marlins: 10 Throwbacks (2 Doubles)
Mets: 11 Throwbacks (2 Doubles), 1 Toppstown
Orioles: 6 Throwbacks, 1 Legends of the Game
Phillies: 13 Throwbacks (3 Doubles), 1 Toppstown, 1 Gold
Rays: 10 Throwbacks (2 Doubles), 1 Toppstown
Red Sox: 11 Throwbacks, 4 Toppstown (3 Doubles), 1 Gold
Reds: 6 Throwbacks (1 Double), 1 Toppstown, 1 Toppstown Gold
Tigers: 3 Throwbacks, 1 Turkey Red (Granderson!), 1 Gold
Twins: 5 Throwbacks, 1 Toppstown Gold
White Sox: 6 Throwbacks (1 Double), 1 Toppstown, 1 Turkey Red (Quentin)
Yankees: 10 Throwbacks (3 Doubles), 2 Toppstown (1 Double), 1 Gold, 1 Comm. Patch (Ruth)

The final call: Most teams did the same or better than last time (in terms of "base" cards), even with the doubles taken into consideration. Breaking down the net base card haul for each team compared to the Walmart Break (because really, the "base" cards are why we did this break in the first place, to help build our team sets):

Angels: +0 (same number of unique base cards)
Cubs: +0
Dodgers: -3
Indians: -1
Marlins: +0
Mets: +2
Orioles: +3
Rays: +0
Red Sox: -1
Tigers: -2
White Sox: +0
Yankees: -4

For returning teams, then, we did 6 cards worse as a group than we did on the last break--almost entirely because of the doubles. Unfortunately, Night Owl may have had the roughest break comparatively, as he also had a treasure trove of inserts to live up to. Still, 7 teams did the same or better than last time, compared to the 5 teams who did worse, so by that measure it wasn't too bad.

I certainly had fun doing this again and I hope that you all enjoyed the break and that these cards help you out with your aspiring team sets. Thank you very, very much for participating, as I couldn't have done it without you.

If there is enough interest, I plan on doing this again come Series 2, which I know is down the road a ways. I may tweak a couple things (like giving multi-player cards away at the end based on who has fewer, instead of via randomization, trying to add 1-2 more teams to lower the cost for everyone back to $5), but I think that, in general, these two breaks went pretty well. As always, if you have any questions, or would like to add some additional cards to your lot before I send them out (as part of a trade, for example), you can always Email Me. Also, since I came up woefully short of putting a team set of Tigers together, I will trade heavily in anybody's favor to fill the remaining 6 holes that I need.

Enjoy your cards everyone!

Summary Post Delayed

Sorry folks, looks like it will be tomorrow morning until I can get a nice summary post up.

See you then.

In the meantime:
Cincy Reds Cards (Reds), Garvey Cey Russell Lopes (Twins) and Dinged Corners (Phillies), please send me your entry fee via paypal at your earliest convenience. If you have any questions about your slot, pricing, additional cards etc. please feel free to Email Me

Good Night!

2009 Topps "Throwback" Group Break: Box 3

Box 1. Box 2.
Box 3:

Commemorative Patch: LPR-6: Mel Ott. I almost died when I opened this and saw the patch. Turns out, it wasn't a double of Jimmie Foxx. It was Mel Ott! Phew.

2009 Topps LPR-5 Mel Ott

Pack 1:
35 David Price- Rays
140 Brandon Webb- Diamondbacks
173 Manny Delcarmen- Red Sox

OH COME ON! If I pull another one of these, the picture will be of its ashes, smoldering in the alley behind my house.

2009 Topps My Greatest Nemesis

TTT3 Grady Sizemore- Indians: Toppstown
51 Will Venable- Padres
27 Jonathan Niese- Mets
298 Jonathan Van Every- Red Sox
204 Andy Sonnanstine- Rays: How about a bearded shot of the Rays' least heralded fireballer?

2009 Topps Target "Throwback"#204 Andy Sonnanstine

Pack 2:
117 Ron Gardenhire- Twins
243 Chase Headley- Padres
36 Kevin Slowey- Twins: I'm a sucker for landscape cards, it seems

2009 Topps Target "Throwback"#36 Kevin Slowey

28 Mike Lowell- Red Sox
TTT2 Roy Halladay- Blue Jays: Toppstown
97 Willie Harris- Nationals
318 Manny Acta- Nationals
272 Chan Ho Park- Dodgers

Pack 3:
255 Joe Crede- White Sox: A Southsider (well, formerly. Now a Twin)

2009 Topps Target Throwback #255 Joe Crede

295 Derrek Lee- Cubs: And a Northsider:

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #295 Derrek Lee

205 Miguel Tejada- Astros
5 John Lackey- Angels
TTT16 Ichiro- Mariners: Toppstown
108 Alcides Escobar- Brewers
90 Justin Morneau- Twins
304 Jason Kubel- Twins

Man, it's been Twins heaven the last couple packs. Already exceeded my Tiger count so far.

Pack 4:
106 Marlon Byrd- Rangers
324 Mark Reynolds- Diamondbacks
TR48 Nate McLouth- Pirates: Turkey Red
TTT1 Alex Rodriguez- Yankees: Toppstown
121 Greg Golson- Rangers
14 Jon Rauch- Diamondbacks
245 Pat Burrell- Phillies
274 Alex Hinshaw- Giants

Uh oh. Doubles.

Pack 5:
60 Mariano Rivera- Yankees
128 Johnny Cueto- Reds
230 Justin Upton- Diamondbacks
301 Clint Barmes- Rockies
298 Jonathan Van Every- Red Sox: Gold #0241/2009. Am I the only one who has no idea who this is?

2009 Topps #298 Some Guy

TTT25 Daisuke Matsuzaka- Red Sox: Toppstown
102 Garrett Atkins- Rockies
165 Matt Kemp- Dodgers

More Doubles. Not Good.

Pack 6:
70 Jermaine Dye- White Sox
73 Shane Victorino- Phillies
39 Stephen Drew- Diamondbacks
LG25 Cal Ripken Jr.- Orioles: Legends of the Game. Mandatory picture inclusion:

2009 Topps LG25 Cal Ripken: Legends of the Game

TTT24 Jay Bruce-Reds: Toppstown
137 Angel Salome-Brewers
281 Tug Hulett-Mariners
234 John Russell-Pirates

Pack 7:
308 Chris Duncan- Cardinals
180 Cliff Lee- Indians
264 Dave Bush- Brewers
18 George Sherrill- Orioles
TTT23 Josh Hamilton- Rangers: Toppstown
145 Matt Tuiasosopo- Mariners: One of this year's hot rookies.

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #145 Matt Tuiasosopo

159 Matt Antonelli- Padres
242 Ricky Nolasco- Marlins

Pack 8:
310 Johan Santana- Mets
103 Kyle Kendrick- Phillies
113 Chris Young- Padres
314 Matt Treanor- Marlins
TTT19 Carlos Quentin- White Sox: Toppstown
169 Juan Miranda- Yankees
72 David Dellucci- Indians
11 Fernando Tatis- Mets: Loved him with the Cardinals many years back, glad he's back in the game.

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #11 Fernando Tatis

Doubles Disaster.

Pack 9:
151 Carl Pavano- Yankees
329 Gil Meche- Royals
40 Carl Crawford- Rays
164 Bob Geren- A's
TTT21 Chipper Jones- Braves
275 Alex Rios- Blue Jays

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #275 Alex Rios

83 Ryan Garko- Indians
149 Juan Uribe- White Sox

Abandon Ship...

Pack 10:
174 James Shields- Rays
252 Brandon Wood- Angels

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #252 Brandon Wood

95 Andrew Miller- Marlins
209 Alfredo Amezaga- Marlins
TTT22 Tim Lincecum- Giants
13 Ryan Langerhans- Nationals
158 Ray Durham- Brewers
207 Joe Blanton- Phillies

Well, that did not end well. Nice to see that we got entire packs of doubles towards the end. Sigh. I guess we just had particularly good fortune in the Wal Mart boxes. As for Tigers, it was really feast of famine, no? After a killer second box, there were ZERO Tigers in this box. Come to think of it, the Gold Tiger in the first box allowed me to ignore the fact that there were no "Throwback" Tigers there either. I guess that's what trading is for...

Summary post to come later this evening. I hope you all enjoyed the break got some great cards for your collections! Thank you again for making this happen!

2009 Topps "Throwback" Group Break: Box 2

Box 1.
Box #2:

Commemorative Patch: Oh no. LPR-5 Jimmie Fox. Boo.

Pack 1:
100 David Wright- Mets For the Ladies:

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #100 David Wright

323 Vicente Padilla- Rangers
206 Santana/Lincecum/Peavy- Mets
221 Lee/Halladay/Matsuzaka- Indians/Red Sox: Randomizer Says: Indians
TTT12 Justin Morneau- Twins: Toppstown Gold
224 Max Scherzer- Diamondbacks
297 Bud Black- Padres
19 Edgar Gonzalez- Padres

Pack 2:
330 Diasuke Matsuzaka- Red Sox
31 Ian Steward- Rockies
126 Orlando Hudson- Diamondbacks
246 Upton/Crawford/Longoria- Rays

2009 Topps Target "Throwback"#246 Upton/Crawford/Longoria

Pack 3:
115 Kevin Youkilis- Red Sox

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #115 Kevin Youkilis

45 Aubrey Huff- Orioles
259 Lincecum/Haren/Santana- Mets
TTT3 Grady Sizemore- Indians: Toppstown. Jesus Christ. Enough with the Sizemore Toppstown.
22 Longoria/Price- Rays
283 John Baker- Marlins
320 Miguel Cabrera- Tigers: First Throwback Tiger! Keep 'em Coming!
187 Jon Garland- Angels
TTT4 Brandon Webb- Diamondbacks
12 Andrew Carpenter- Phillies
216 Joe Maddon- Rays
247 Yuniesky Betancourt- Mariners

Pack 4:
312 Ryan Sweeney- A's
195 Tim Lincecum- Giants

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #195 Tim Lincecum

119 Craig Counsell- Brewers
278 Philadephia Phillies WS- Phillies
227 Freddy Sandoval- Angels
TTT5 Evan Longoria- Rays: Toppstown
197 Ronnie Belliard- Nationals
185 Randy Johnson- Diamondbacks

Pack 5:
262 Mike Gonzalez- Braves
265 Carlos Zambrano- Cubs: I love pictures that show the pitchers with the lumber. Do you think Zambrano's expression is more "Ahhh, Majestic Home Run" or "Ahh, Damn. Routine Fly Ball"?

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #265 Carlos Zambrano

145 Alex Gordon- Royals
LG3- Christy Mathewson- NY Giants
TTT6 Johan Santana- Mets
282 Chris Lambert- Tigers: Another Tiger for this box!
269 Hunter Pence- Astros
168 Mark DeRosa- Cubs

Pack 6:
143 Matt Joyce-Tigers: Tigers two packs in a Row!
284 Luis Ayala- Mets
257 George Kottaras- Red Sox

HOLD EVERYTHING.

2009 Topps #TR24 Curtis Granderson "Turkey Red"

TR24 Curtis Granderson- Tigers: Turkey Red. Yes! Yes. Yes. Yes.
TTT9 Ryan Howard- Phillies
10 Dan Uggla- Marlins

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #10 Dan Uggla

Pack 7:
150 Kosuke Fukudome- Cubs
288 Guillermo Guiroz- Orioles
65 Mike Pelfrey- Mets
TTT21 Chipper Jones- Braves
292 Francisco Cervelli- Yankees
7 Mickey Mantle- Yankees
200 Chase Utley- Phillies

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #200 Chase Utley

148 Ty Wigginton- Astros
251 Greg Smith- A's
91 Cody Ross- Marlins

Pack 8:
26 Jason Giambi- Yankees: In a picture truly befitting of a retro card.

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #26 Jason Giambi

110 Hideki Matsui- Yankees
61 Berkman/Lee- Astros
290 Albert Pujols- Cardinals
TTT25 Diasuke Matsuzaka- Red Sox: Toppstown
293 Brian Bixler- Pirates
9 Dallas McPherson- Marlins
54 Dusty Baker- Reds

Pack 9:
38 Eric Wedge- Indians
254 Cito Gaston- Blue Jays
24 Frank Thomas- A's
258 Casey Kotchman- Braves
89 Lester/Bay- Red Sox
TTT20 Lance Berkman- Astros: Toppstown
84 Rod Barajas- Blue Jays
112 Hideki Okajima- Red Sox

Pack 10:
107 Pedro Feliz- Phillies
77 Jed Lowrie- Red Sox
41 Mike Mussina- Yankees: Gold #0255/2009
TTT3 Grady Sizemore- Indians: Toppstown Gold ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
299 Cole Hamels- Phillies
131 Joe Torre- Dodgers

2009 Topps Target "Throwback"#131 Joe Torre

104 Brandon Moss- Pirates
96 Dexter Fowler- Rockies

MONSTER box for me there! It looked like a pretty good box for everyone else too. I'm not really sure--I was kind of fixated on one card while I ripped and typed the others on autopilot. I was only jarred from my haze when when another Grady Sizemore Toppstown reared its media-friendly, all-american head.

2009 Topps "Throwback" Group Break: Box 1

Commemorative Patch: LPR-1 Babe Ruth.

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" LPR-1 Babe Ruth Comm. Patch

Another Yankees Commemorative Patch for RogerL aka IDK...3rdBase, following up on his Mickey Mantle from the "Black" Group Break. Pretty much just paid for his entry fee with this one.

Pack 1:
206 Miguel Tejada- Astros
106 Marlon Byrd- Rangers
301 Clint Barmes- Rockies
39 Stephen Drew- Diamondbacks
TTT10 Jake Peavy- Padres: Toppstown
137 Angel Salome- Brewers
14 Jon Rauch- Diamondbacks
245 Pat Burrell- Phillies

Pack 2:
60 Mariano Rivera- Yankees
128 Johnny Cueto- Reds
264 Dave Bush- Brewers
34 Brandon Inge- Tigers Gold #0251/2009--Woah, a Gold Tiger in Pack 2 (and my first of the year)! A taste of good things to come?

2009 Topps #34 Brandon Inge: Gold (#/2009)

TTT25 Daisuke Matsuzaka- Red Sox: Toppstown
274 Alex Hinshaw- Giants
102 Garrett Atkins- Rockies
165 Matt Kemp- Dodgers: The possessor of major skills--primed for a big year.

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #165 Matt Kemp

Pack 3:
180 Cliff Lee- Indians
174 James Shields- Rays
83 Ryan Garko- Indians

2009 Topps Target "Throwback"#83 Ryan Garko

275 Alex Rios- Blue Jays
TTT24 Jay Bruce- Reds: Toppstown Gold
164 Bob Geren- A's
158 Ray Durham- Brewers
207 Joe Blanton- Phillies

Pack 4:
252 Brandon Wood- Angles
95 Andrew Miller- Marlins
149 Juan Uribe- White Sox
314 Matt Treanor- Marlins
TTT3 Grady Sizemore- Indians: Toppstown
169 Juan Miranda- Yankees
40 Carl Crawford- Rays: One of the most talented and under-appreciated players in baseball

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #40 Carl Crawford

329 Gil Meche- Royals

Pack 5:
310 Johan Santana- Mets
103 Kyle Kendrick- Phillies
113 Chris Young- Padres
319 Brian Fuentes- Rockies
TTT2 Roy Halladay- Blue Jays: Toppstown
184 Bobby Parnell- Mets
151 Carl Pavano- Yankees
72 David Dellucci- Indians

Pack 6: Let's kick this into high gear for the second half, shall we?
300 Ichiro- Mariners
67 Andrew Jones- Dodgers
50 David Ortiz- Red Sox

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #50 David Ortiz

79 David Eckstein- Diamondbacks
TTT1 Alex Rodriguez- Yankees: Toppstown
196 Jason Motte- Cardinals
11 Fenando Tatis- Mets
189 Jay Payton- Orioles: Nice shot of one of the O's fine defensive outfielders:

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #189 Jay Payton

Pack 7:
129 Angel Berroa- Dodgers
154 A.J. Pierznski- White Sox
114 Chris Dickerson- Reds: Phenomenal action shot of the young Red on the bases. I think he's about to get gunned down. Thoughts?

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #114 Chris Dickerson

TTT15 Alfonso Soriano- Cubs: Toppstown
276 Geovany Soto- Cubs: Was supposed to be a sleeper in my draft last year, that went three picks before I was going to nab him. Absolute star in the making.

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #276 Geovany Soto

249 Jack Hannahan- A's
55 J.J. Hardy- Brewers
294 Brandon Boggs- Rangers

Pack 8:
212 Denard Span- Twins: Another rising star who will either tear it up or strikeout in a fashion that makes it look like he just picked up a baseball bat for the first time in his life. So frustrating.

2009 Topps Target "Throwback"#212 Denard Span

56 Edwin Encarnacion- Reds
162 Mike Cameron- Brewers
81 Howard/Dunn/Delgado- Phillies: A little league leader action from some big boppers:

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #81 Howard/Dunn/Delgado League Leaders: HR

TR29 Carlos Quentin- White Sox: Turkey Red: These Turkey Red inserts are really, really nice.

2009 Topps TR29 Carlos Quentin Turkey Red

TTT25 Daisuke Matsuzaka- Red Sox: Toppstown
194 Jeremy Guthrie- Orioles
306 Javier Vazquez- White Sox

Pack 9: 136 Tim Hudson- Braves
193 Zack Greinke- Royals
43 Mauer/Pedroia/Bradley- Twins/Red Sox/Rangers: Randomizer says: Red Sox
LG5 Walter Johnson- Senators
TTT3 Grady Sizemore- Indians: Toppstown
273 Brian Roberts- Orioles: Still the face of the franchise and a highly productive player, I think signing him to an extension was a good call

2009 Topps Target "Throwback"#273 Brian Roberts

29 Jerry Hairston- Reds
33 Jose Guillen- Royals

Pack 10:
37 Erick Aybar- Angels: Wearing his Robocop glasses. There is a weird indentation on the top middle of this card. Nice going Topps.

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #37 "Robostop" Erick Aybar

211 Ryan Rowland-Smith- Mariners
4 Jones/Pujols/Holliday- Braves/Cards/Rockies
299 Cole Hamels- Phillies: Gold #0196/2009 Bottom of this card is also dinged up, I guess it's going to the right people then.

2009 Topps Target "Throwback"#299 Cole Hamels Gold (#/2009)

TTT2 Roy Halladay- Blue Jays
271 Cliff Lee- Indians: AL Cy Young
142 Brad Penny- Dodgers
156 Carlos Pena- Rays: The former Tiger with tremendous (but streaky, at least in Detroit) power.

2009 Topps Target "Throwback" #156 (Former Tiger) Carlos Pena

Topps "Throwback" Group Break Scheduled for 2:30

The Group Break is scheduled for 2:30 this afternoon and will follow the same format as last time.

While the majority of people have paid for their slot, I will now publicly put pressure on the two who haven't:

Cincy Reds Cards (Reds) and Garvey Cey Russell Lopes (Twins). Please send your entry fee via paypal to grandcardsblog AT gmail DOT com as quickly as possible. Not doing so could delay the break in its entirety.

For the rest of you, tune in at 2:30 for Box 1!

2009 Topps "Throwback" Group Break is On!

Apparently, I have an issue with the 3rd time being a charm. Today, I went to the Target close to my work that has had no 2009 Topps cards all year. No surprise, they had packs, but no blasters. So, 7 miles down the highway I went to a second Target--an enormous Target that I've never been to before. No blasters, just packs. I was about to go back, having basically extinguished my lunch break, when I told myself "No, I'm going to try one more". 5 miles later, I was at the only other Target that I knew about in the area.

Lo and behold, 2009 Topps blasters with the magic code for Throwbacks. 12 miles later and I'm back at work typing this post. And so, the Group Break will occur upon receiving $6 per team slot from everybody who has committed so far. If you haven't committed and would like to join, you are welcome to do so.

Please send your money to me via paypal to grandcardsblog AT gmail DOT com. The break is tentatively scheduled for tomorrow afternoon pending those funds.

Good luck everybody!

Topps "Throwback" Group Break is Confirmed

Wow, that was fast--I was in the process of moving from one cubicle to another today and kind of missed all of the action in the comments. However, it appears as though we reached the needed number of participants for the group break in record time. I will begin searching for the cards tomorrow. Once I find them, I will ask for your payment to proceed with the break. We have:

Baseball Dad (All Tribe Cards)-Indians
White Sox Cards-White Sox
Cincy Reds Cards-Reds
Night Owl-Dodgers
Lake Effect Cards-Cubs
Thoughts and Sox-Red Sox
I Heart Halos-Angels
RogerL-Marlins, Rays, Yankees, Orioles
Garvey Cey Russell Lopes-Twins
Dinged Corners-Mets
Grand Cards-Tigers

To Steve at The Easy Life, unfortunately, I did offer all returning breakers the opportunity to renew their slots for this break. This was a thank you to them for doing the first break with me, my first ever. In the future these will be first-come, first-served (for Series 2, for example) and with lighting-fast response times like that, I'm sure you'll be able to snatch up the Mets without trouble.

There are still a few great teams out there for those interested, including the Brewers, Braves, Phillies, Blue Jays, Mariners and more. So if you're interested, please leave a comment. However, we are a go for the 3 box "throwback" break, pending the results of my Target search(es). I'll give you a progress report after my lunch break tomorrow.

Prepare for another Group Break!

Spoiler Alert: Baseball Dad at All Tribe Baseball tipped me off to the fact that the Topps "Throwback" blasters have been sighted. In fact, he has them in hand and has a post about them up right now.

If they are out I will, as promised, volunteer to host another Group Break--this time for the Target Blasters. I realize that some of you may not have gotten your "Black" cards yet, but I assure you that they are in transit. Steve at White Sox Cards just got his. So, here is the first post to gauge interest in another break. When all was said and done on the last one I ended up almost exactly breaking even, when shipping was taken into consideration.

So, this time around, we need a minimum of 13 teams (slots) at $6 per team. Out of respect to bloggers who participated in the last break, I'll give you a one day window to renew your slot for the throwback cards. After that, I'll open the slots up to everybody else.

As before, we will be breaking 3 blasters of Target's Topps "Throwback" cards. If we can manage 18 teams (Phillies, Brewers, Cardinals, Braves and Twins were unclaimed last time, among others) then I can pick up a 4th Blaster. At this point, just let me know in the comments if you would like to reserve a slot. I will not ask for any money until I actually find the cards.

I'm hoping to do this break no later than a week from today (and start looking for these cards as early as tomorrow), so if you'd like to be in, reserve your spot today!

2009 Topps Retail Parallel Group Break

Ok, so here's what I'm thinking. Sorry if it's a slight rehash from what I said yesterday. I want the Black and Gray Detroit Tigers retail parallels offered at Target and Walmart, but I don't feel the need to splurge on a whole bunch of blasters that will fail to guarantee that I get anywhere close to a set. I also want to avoid exorbitant shipping costs that come from buying these cards individually. So I've decided, if there is enough demand, to do a Group Break on these. Of course, this is all contingent on my local Target and Walmart actually having these blasters (last I checked the Target near my work didn't have ANY 2009 Topps--nothing at all), but I'm willing to go on a bit of recon to find them.

I'm not so sure about the specifics, but I was thinking maybe $5 per person? The average team set has about 10-12 cards in it and I'm thinking of getting 2 Walmart and 2 Target (320 Cards). Since I'm not trying to lose money on the proposition, that would require 16 people at $5 to participate in the break. Given the readership on this blog, I'm not sure that's doable. If we can get 13 people I can do it at $6.

To be more inclusive, and for set builders, I will also offer slots for the "leftover cards." For the same price as a team collector, you can buy the rights to all unclaimed Black or Gray cards within a certain number range. For example, Let's say you buy the rights to card numbers 1-20. Upon the break, I pull 1 Tiger, 2 Indians and 4 Dodgers--you would get the remaining 13 cards in that range.

Make sense?

If you are interested, please let me know in the comments section. So far, I've got interest from:

Night Owl: Dodgers
Baseball Dad: Indians
Dinged Corners: Mets


With me, that leaves us with 12 to go, and I'm just hoping there's enough interest out there to fill it up.

To sum, you may purchase a team or a the rights to an unclaimed card slot (for set builders: could be a range of unclaimed cards to depending on the number of teams-more on this as details emerge). This is not a firm commitment (i.e. no money down), but if the interest is there I will solidify the commitments, buy the cards, and we'll be on our way!

Also, if there is lots of interest, we can push it to 3 blasters of each--I just thought that 2 would be a good starting point.

What to do?

Earlier today, Nachos Grande got the scoop on the Walmart (and Target!) Topps Parallels. For some reason, Nachos Grande is not in my Google Reader (it is now), so this was actually brought to my attention by Cardboard Junkie. Thank goodness for the intertwined card blogging community, no?

Anyway, I am pondering the same thing that many of you are. Do I buy a Walmart Blaster to get the Black Parallels? Do I buy a Target Blaster to get the Gray Retro Parallels? At the moment, I am not spending money on cards, but that won't last forever--it is also more of a way to ease an eBay addiction, as I'm have some restraint when it comes to buying packs at places like Walmart or Target. For me, the bottom line is this: I want the Black and Gray Tigers cards. There are only 9, so that should be easy.

On the one hand, Why would I buy a blaster, in which I'm all but guaranteed NOT to get all the Tigers I need, when I can buy a set of them on eBay.

On the other hand, as has been the case with other retail releases, and judging by the general lack of buzz about these parallels on the blogs, am I confident that there will be a bunch of Tigers sets available online? Will there be so few that the prices will get driven up?

I still don't know where I stand on the whole issue, but perhaps some of you can help me out. If I buy a black and gray blaster, I will only want the Tigers and will make all of the other cards available for trade. Are the rest of you interested in these cards that we can pull the trigger on some trades, or am I going to end up with a pile of unwanted parallels?

TRAIN OF THOUGHT UPDATE!: Would anybody out there be interested in doing a multi-blaster Target/WalMart Group Break with me? I've never done a break before, but I'm thinking pick a team and get all the cards from that team (you know the drill). If you may be interested in this, leave a comment with your team of Choice. If there's enough interest, we'll go from there!