Cardboard Zoo

Just a quick update...

2012-01-08T23:29:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in several days now. I haven't abandoned the blog - I've just been too busy getting ready for Japan! I leave in 12 hours, and while I'm almost prepared, I won't be able to make new posts for at least a couple more days - maybe a week or more. I wanted to write a bunch of posts in anticipation of being away from internet, but I've been too busy with other projects. Meanwhile, thank you to all my readers and followers! I look forward to bringing you even more great cards. I'll probably change the template just a bit to better meet my desires with how I present each set.

From California...

To Japan!

The Japan blog is live: Chaos and Kanji can be found at http://japanryan.blogspot.com!

1973-02 Book Promotional Cards

2012-01-04T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: approximately 32

Distribution: Cards in this "set" were issued in conjunction with various baseball-related books.

Thoughts: While this is a "set" listed in the Beckett database, it's really a collection of separate releases. Occasionally, book manufacturers will issue a "baseball card" (or series of cards) to promote an upcoming or bestselling book. This example is for the 1989 book Out of the Blue, about pitcher Orel Hershiser. Occasionally, two different cards are issued for a book (Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig for 2002's Breaking the Slump), or even a dozen cards (Who was Harry Steinfeldt? and other baseball trivia). I'm not sure why Orel is wearing something other than Dodger Blue in this promo - especially given the title of the book - and I'm not familiar enough with his history to identify what team he might be representing. I was quite excited to find this card sitting in a dime box at a card show!

1921-23 National Caramel (E220)

2012-01-02T03:00:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy New Year's weekend for me, so I haven't posted on the site in a while. Let's start 2012 with a great card from 90 years ago!

Set size: 120 cards; 2 x 3-1/4" size

Front Design: A black and white photo is in a black frame, with a white box at the bottom of the photo containing the player's name, position, and team.

Back Design: Black printing on the white card stock is identical on all cards, as seen to the right.

Parallels and Similars: This set is often confused with the American Caramel sets of the same time period. The design, photos, and text on the back are the same in most cases. However, this set is identifiable by the National Caramel Company text on the back.

Distribution: Cards would have been issued with caramel candies, just like American Caramel issues.

Thoughts: The design is plain but clean, with nice photographs on the front. With a fairly large set, children would have made dentists very busy trying to complete sets by eating candy. I'm sure the kids of the 1920s didn't mind. While I like the set, it doesn't stand out with any special design features. The photographs aren't special and the design itself is plain. Hopefully Topps keeps their hands off this set as a throwback Caramel issue wouldn't interest me one bit.

2007 UD Black Game Day-Box Score Autographs

2011-12-29T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 42 cards

Front Design: The horizontal cards have a box score from a significant game in the player's career - for example, the Travis Buck card's box score above highlights his first career home run and reaching base 5 of 6 plate appearances. The left side of the card has (from top to bottom) the UD Black logo, a small photo with a serial number, the game date, and a team logo. The right side of the card has a dark box with a silver-pen autograph.

Back Design: The back has the same basic layout as the front, with design elements changed. The middle has a highlight writeup from the game and an authenticity statement, the left contains the card number, team logo, game date, and licensing logos, and the "autograph" area contains the location of the game celebrated on the card.

Parallels and Similars: Two parallels, numbered to 10 and 1/1, were also issued. There are other Game Day sets (ticket autos and lineup card autos) in the release.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into packs of UD Black - a two-pack-per-box product where every card in the set is autographed, and each pack contains only one card. The Game Day Box Score set is serial-numbered to 50.

Thoughts: Any UD Black card is a good card - all cards are autographed and numbered to 99 or less. Players like Travis Buck can come cheap, though this is a landmark release and commands a premium because of its initial pack price. I like the idea of a set that highlights a specific event, as this set does. It's more than just an autograph!

Forgotten 2011: 2011 Topps Marquee Monumental Markings

2011-12-28T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 75 cards

Front Design: A player photo, usually a portrait, is overlaid with foil across the bottom. The lower portion of the card has an on-card autograph of the player represented, followed by his name. The cards are serial numbered in the lower-right portion of the photo.

Back Design: The backs have a grey frame. A box at the top has the player's name, team, and position, which is followed by a short biography. An authenticity guarantee follows. At the bottom of the grey frame is the card number, and beneath the frame is a tan/gold fancy victorian design.

Parallels and Similars: A gold parallel version exists.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into boxes/packs of Topps Marquee. The Monumental Markings set appears about one per box. The serial numbering for any specific player depends on that player's popularity (and thus cost for obtaining signatures) - superstars like Sandy Koufax signed only 10 cards, and many of the "common" players signed up to 600 copies.

Thoughts: This set was forgotten soon after its release due to another high-end issue arriving within a couple weeks. It's my favorite high-end set of the year. I could never afford Triple Threads or Tribute, and this set provides cards that are just as attractive at a better price point. Plus, all the autographs here should be on-card, which is important for today's collectors.

2007 Justifiable Just Black Edition

2011-12-26T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 50 cards

Front Design: The card features a black background with nearly-vertical grey stripes. The player's name, position, and organization are printed on the left and right of the photo, which is outlined in white.

Back Design: A cropped version of the photo from the front is printed in a rhombus; the player's name is above the photo and his position below. Biographical and minor league stats are beneath the photo. A serial numbered hologram sticker is placed over the lower-right edge of the photo.

Parallels and Similars: This set is one of several parallels - a few color versions, a few glossy color versions, and autographed versions of each.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into packs of 2007 Justifiable.

Thoughts: Unlike many parallels, where just a border or foil color changes, this parallel changes the entire background to black. However, Just Minors products were meant for autographs, and most cards from these releases are forgotten. I don't care for the white border around the player, though without it his legs might disappear into the background.

2008 USA Baseball National Team

2011-12-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 60 cards

Front Design: A blue tinted flag is the background at the bottom, with gold foil printed over the top containing the USA Baseball and Upper Deck logos, and the player's name, jersey number, and position. The blue tint at the top identifies this as a National Team member (instead of a Junior National Team member). The rest of the card is a color photo.

Back Design: The top portion of the card repeats the waving flag with a cropped headshot and some biographical stats. His USA Baseball statistics and a short biography is printed in black over a grey background with a white USA Baseball watermark.

Parallels and Similars: Many autograph and memorabilia sets use the same numbering as the base set, but there are no parallels in the set.

Distribution: Cards were sold in boxed set form and included the 60 card base set, seven autographed cards, and two memorabilia cards.

Thoughts: The design is solid and USA Baseball sets are very popular. Tyson Ross is a pitcher for the A's now, though he's still too fresh to know how well he'll turn out.

2005 Just Autographs

2011-12-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 70 cards

Front Design: A color photo is placed on the left side of the horizontal-format card, beneath which is the player's name and team. The right side of the card has the Just Minors logo and the team's logo in grey.

Back Design: A cropped version of the front photo is in a gold frame in the upper left, and the color team logo and player's name is beneath. Biographical and prior-year statistics are on the right.

Parallels and Similars: Several, including printing plates, autographs, colored parallels, and glossy parallels with colored parallels. Most, if not all of those parallels are distinguished by serial numbering.

Distribution: Cards were sold in pack form - four cards per pack including one autograph, and twelve packs per box.

Thoughts: As with other Just Minors products, the focus is on the autographs, so the card design here leaves plenty of room to put the autograph sticker with not much effort put into the design. In fact, it follows some of the same basic principles as another recent set featured here: 2004 Justifiable. It's not surprising that Just Minors has moved away from trading cards to releasing autographed and game-used full memorabilia items. To see an autographed version of this card, see this post.

2008 Allen & Ginters Mini Pioneers of Aviation

2011-12-21T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 5 cards

Front Design: A painting of an aviation invention appears above it's name in a color cloud. The bottom of the card has the 2008 Allen & Ginter logo.

Back Design: The top has the Pioneers in Aviation title graphic followed by the card number in a shield. The remainder of the card back is a list of crazy flying machines and their inventors.

Parallels and Similars: None.

Distribution: This unadvertised insert set was randomly inserted into packs of 2008 Allen & Ginter at a rate of about 1 in 6 boxes.

Thoughts: This would be another fun mini set to collect if it wasn't so rare. While the 2008 design leaves a lot of empty space on the card front, the subjects in this set are much more fun than, say, countries. It's more unique. If only these cards had video of them trying to fly - that would be the icing on the cake.

2008 Allen & Ginter Mini Team Orange

2011-12-20T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 10 cards

Front Design: The fronts look the same as the 2008 Allen & Giner set, with a painting of a fictional member of Team Orange, followed by old-timey text of the "player's" name and the Allen & Ginter 2008 logo.

Back Design: "The World Champion"s and "Team Orange" are across the top, followed by the player's name. A paragraph describing the player's abilities follows.

Parallels and Similars: As mentioned, this set is based on the 2008 Allen & Ginter set. It can be distinguished easily by the "Team Orange" text across the top of the back, and the prefix "TO" before the card number.

Distribution: The cards were one of the "rare" inserts in 2008 Allen & Ginter, inserted one card for every six boxes.

Thoughts: Many people don't like the gimmicks and non-sport subjects in Allen & Ginter, and for them there are other throwback sets or just the base set (though that includes plenty of non-baseball subjects). I like fun sets like these, showing a bit of creativity from the Topps design team. Many of the fictional characters portrayed in Topps sets (this set, and Gypsy Queen's Gypsy Queen insert set are good examples) are based on actual Topps employees. See this post for details. I would love to have a full set of Team Orange cards, but given their rarity (and thus premium), it seems to be a bit too much to take on.

1982-89 Louisville Slugger

2011-12-19T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 14 cards

Front Design: The player's name is in a blue circle at the top, followed by a green-bordered photo with his position in a box in the top green border. The Louisville Slugger ID is beneath the photo in the green border. All cards have a hole in the upper-left corner.

Back Design: The boxy back contains both a short paragraph and bulleted points highlighting his career, followed by some biographical information.

Parallels and Similars: None.

Distribution: Cards were attached to products as marketing tools and perhaps as a small premium for purchasing the glove or bat.

Thoughts: Every once in a while, I find myself reading through one of the big books. Be it Beckett or SCD, I find pleasure in skimming the pages of all these obscure sets listed between the big companies. Somewhere between Leaf and Pacific lies Louisville Slugger. And listed for Lousville Slugger is this card, which was attached to gloves sold in the 1980s. Looking at a listing like the one for Louisville Slugger, I often wish I had taken advantage of some special offer, or saved the tag from my glove, or just bought that food item in the grocery store. Finding something as simple as a glove tag at most card shows is a lost cause. But occasionally I see something like this Steve Garvey, sitting in a dime box, looking for a home that can appreciate the torn corner for what it means - this card survived retail shipping, a shelf, and a baseball player with only minor damage. Finding cards that I didn't think I'd ever see is much more thrilling than seeing a random Topps insert marked down at 95% off, or even getting a great deal on a player collection autograph or relic. Those cards are easy enough to find - they're all over eBay, COMC, Sportlots, card shows, card stores, and the trading community. But how many of you have Louisville Slugger glove cards for trade?

I have to wonder if the cards were updated as the years went on. Steve Garvey appears as a Dodger and a Padre; Greg Nettles is a Yankee and a Padre. Perhaps other players had their biographies updated once or twice over the years. Incidentally, this set of 14 cards is the only issue ever released under the Louisville Slugger name.

2004 Justifiable

2011-12-18T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 90 cards

Front Design: A diamond-shaped player photo with a white border sits over a light-black (wouldn't that be grey?) team logo. The bottom of the card has the Just logo, followed by the player's name, position, and team in a wide black-bordered diamond.

Back Design: The front photo and diamond crop is repeated on the back with a gold border; the player's name is in the upper left and card number in the upper right. Just beneath the photo is his biographical information and the only notation as to the set, followed by prior minor league statistics.

Parallels and Similars: There are three colored parallels, four printing plates, and four autograph parallels to this base set.

Distribution: Each set-box of Justifiable included one complete set, while foil packs were also distributed.

Thoughts: The Just Minors products focus on autographs of minor league players, so there isn't too much effort put into base set design, as you can tell. There's plenty of room on the front for the autograph sticker, and space on the back for serial numbering. Like most Donruss issues of 2004-2005, the set is an afterthought to the autograph checklist.

2002 USA Baseball National Team

2011-12-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 30 cards

Front Design: The USA Baseball logo in gold foil is beneath a color photo in gold foil, with 2002 National Team beneath. The player's name is to the left, in a fading blue box placed over the photo; his position is in a separate blue box which fades into an American flag.

Back Design: The backs have a cropped headshot from the front photo and a short highlight biography over a background of the USA Baseball logo. The logo is repeated in full color beneath the biography.

Parallels and Similars: There are no parallels, though other USA sets have similar designs.

Distribution: Cards were sold complete in factory set form with an autograph and relic card for $19.99. Upper Deck claims to have released no more than 10,000 factory sets.

Thoughts: A full set, autograph, and relic for $20? These days, full USA Baseball sets retail for nearly $100, though those come with five autographs, two autographed relics, and three triple relics. I'll just pick up the $10 retail version with just the base cards. I enjoy USA Baseball sets, though I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the oddball nature of the sets - amateur players on "professional" baseball cards. Perhaps it's an interest in patriotic cards, though I don't collect non-sport patriotic cards. Maybe I just enjoy collecting Team USA because I saw them play in the 1996 Olympics. This is a nice set anyway, with a patriotic feel and gold foil highlights that add a touch of class without being over the top.

1991 Classic/Best Gold Bonus

2011-12-15T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 20 cards

Front Design: The white-bordered cards have a dashed line leading from the Classic/Best logo in the upper left corner to the player's name, in gold foil at the bottom. In the bottom border is the team name and player's position.

Back Design: The backs have a thin black frame and the player's major league affiliate logo as a background. The top row has the card number (BC prefix), the player's name in a red oval, and position. Following are the player's biographical stats, prior professional statistics, and information on how the player was acquired. The bottom of the vertical cards have the Classic/Best logo, MLB logo, and minor league team logo.

Parallels and Similars: This set is in the same design as the regular 1991 Classic/Best set.

Distribution: Cards were inserted one per jumbo pack of the Classic/Best minor league full set.

Thoughts: In 1991, only a few sets had gold foil: Stadium Club was the first major issue full set, and the Desert Storm parallel of Topps' flagship issue had a gold foil stamp. 1991 Leaf had an insert with gold foil, and a few of the 1991 Bowman cards had a small gold foil stamp. So this set ranks up there with some of the more "innovative" issues of the year. There are some players in the set that became successful at the major league level, including Ivan Rodriguez, Jim Thome, and Arthur Rhodes. Mike Schmidt, hardly a minor leaguer, is card number 1 in the set.

204 UD Diamond All-Star Promo

2011-12-14T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 60 cards

Front Design: A player action shot is placed inside a quadruple-matte frame of red and white, with his name at the bottom of the photo and "pick the starting lineup and win!" near the bottom. His position is in a blue flag at the left, and a code for entering the contest is beneath the photo in an oval box.

Back Design: The back has all the details for entering the contest, which involved picking the All-Star team starting lineup. The winner would win tickets to a 2004 World Series game.

Parallels and Similars: There is an e-card version which I believe would have allowed the lucky holder to instantly win a prize.

Distribution: While called "promo" cards, these didn't promote Upper Deck's Diamond Collection All-Star set, as they were inserted into packs of that product. There was also a Diamond Collection "Pro Sigs" issue released in 2004.

Thoughts: For a flimsy game card tossed into packs of Diamond All-Star, the design isn't too bad. Featuring different players on the front make these somewhat collectible in their own right. If only these cards had that red border around the photo done as a die-cut paper frame (similar to Gypsy Queen). Then they would be really cool!

2007 Bowman Sterling Prospect Refractors

2011-12-13T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 118 cards

Front Design: A player portrait is placed inside a shield-shaped border with the word PROSPECT across the top. The player's team is in a banner beneath the photo, followed by the Bowman Sterling logo. The player's name is in a banner at the bottom. The cards have a foil background with a refractor finish. Of the 118 cards in the set, 68 are autographed, and 18 of those have memorabilia inserts.

Back Design: The backs are monochromatic. A top banner has the card number (or, letters, in this case). Beneath the card number is a shield with a player headshot. To the left is the player's name and team, acquisition history, and a highlight paragraph. That is followed by his prior year and career statistics. The bottom holds copyright information and a serial number stamp.

Parallels and Similars: The entire Bowman Sterling line is essentially parallels. The prospects set has three refractor versions and printing plates.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into (very expensive) packs of 2007 Bowman Sterling. All the cards in the set are serial-numbered to 199, regardless of being a regular card (above), autographed, or autographed relic.

Thoughts: Bowman Sterling really hasn't changed in years, just like the other Bowman lines. However, it is the top of the line set as far as the newest prospects are concerned. The excessive use of sterling-colored foil is a turn-off for my tastes - with some color in the design it could be enjoyable. I get it - Sterling. Silver. But there's nothing that really pops on this card.

1993 O-Pee-Chee World Champions

2011-12-12T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 18 cards

Front Design: The white bordered cards have a color photo with a thin black frame. The O-Pee-Chee logo is at the top, while the player's name is in a gold-colored bar near the bottom. The Blue Jays 1992 World Champions logo is also at the bottom beside the player's name.

Back Design: The colorful backs have a second color photo in the upper right, with the card number, player's name and position, and the Blue Jays logo to the left. His 1992 postseason stats are in a burnt-orange box in the center of the card, and a postseason highlight in English and French is at the bottom of the card.

Parallels and Similars: The cards have the same general design as the 1993 O-Pee-Chee issue, except for the gold bar at the bottom (regular cards have silver bars).

Distribution: These cards were inserts in 1993 O-Pee-Chee packs.

Thoughts: Sets celebrating World Series champions were inserted into several issues around this time - Fleer inserted them into factory sets, for instance. These days, Topps issues commemorative World Series Champion sets in time for Christmas, but there are no insert sets documenting the postseason that I can recall. The O-Pee-Chee design of this year is attractively simple, and the multi-color backs are pleasant to look at.

A Lost Cause: 1998 Pinnacle Performers Swing for the Fences

2011-12-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 51 cards (50 cards + 1 exchange card)

Front Design: The front of the card contains a background with several lightly-shaded numbers, over which his cut-out photo appears. His name runs up the left side, the Pinnacle Performers logo is at the top, and the Swing for the Fences logo is at the bottom.

Back Design: The back has a card number in the upper-left and the game rules.

Parallels and Similars: No similar cards, though a similar contest was run the prior year in Pinnacle products. There are home run point cards that go along with this contest.

Distribution: These player cards were inserted 1:2 packs of Pinnacle Performers.

Thoughts: There were no winners in this contest, as Pinnacle went bankrupt before redemptions could occur. The exchange card would have provided the recipient with an autographed Juan Gonzalez baseball. None of the upgraded cards were released. As for the contest, there were similar programs done in the 1990s (including the Crash The Game contests run through Upper Deck's Collector's Choice line). It would be fun to see Topps do a contest like this instead of simple wrapper redemption programs.

2003 Upper Deck Post: the last of its kind

2011-12-08T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 30 cards

Front Design: The player photo is cropped inside a rounded-corner rectangle over a single color low-res fading background. Horizontal rows of foil dots are above and below the rectangle, and the player's last name is in foil along the right side of the card. His team's logo is in a home plate in the lower-left of the card, and his position is in a red box in the lower-left. The player's full name runs up the left side of the card.

Back Design: The back puts the player's name at the top and his jersey number in large print in the upper right, beneath the player's name. To the right is a square close-up photo. The majority of the card holds a box with 2002 and career statistics and biographical information. The Post logo is in the lower right, above the other legal information, Upper Deck logos, and licensing logos.

Parallels and Similars: None known.

Distribution: The set was available via a mail-in offer that required collectors to assemble a full set of six CD-ROMs inserted into cereal boxes in 2003.

Thoughts: This set looks like most Upper Deck issues of the early 2000s, with geometric shapes, foil enhancements, and strange fonts - a very digital feel. In fact, you wouldn't know this was a Post issue if the little logo wasn't included on the back. There is one player per team, appealing to all team collectors, and the mail-in offer requirements mean this set is in shorter supply than most other Post issues. I believe this is the last Post card set to be issued, and this being card #31 makes it the last Post baseball card issued to date.

2003 Donruss Signature Team Trademarks

2011-12-07T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 40 cards

Front Design: The team logo appears in a shuttered background on this horizontal card. A white translucent border across the tops holds the Team Trademarks "logo" with the team logo again; a player photo is off to the side, and the player's name and position are in a fading white bar across the bottom. The Donruss Signature Series logo is also at the bottom of the card. The card design is done in team colors.

Back Design: The team logo is repeated as the background, and the Team Trademarks logo is repeated from the front beneath a box with serial numbering. The card number is in the upper-right, followed by a fading-in white banner with the player's name and position. A biography follows on the right side of the card.

Parallels and Similars: There are two regular parallels and six autographed parallels of this set.

Distribution: This "base" insert is serial numbered to 500, and inserted randomly into packs of 2003 Donruss Signature Series.

Thoughts: Although there are cases of bigger wastes of card space, this issue is a perfect example of a design made specifically for autographs. The large empty space between Glavine, his name, and the Mets logo at the top of the card was created as a place to put a signature. While I appreciate an autograph card where the autograph is well-placed, I could do without the non-autograph version. That said, several Japanese autograph and relic issues come in versions without relics or autographs, and will provide a way for me to collect those sets without spending large sums of money.

1998 Ultra Top 30

2011-12-06T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 30 cards

Front Design: "Top 30" in large print surrounded by steel-looking "+" symbols is the background behind a player photo. The player's name and position is in the lower right corner in team colors, and the Ultra logo is in the upper left corner.

Back Design: A second player photo is on the left, on top of the "+" background. The Top 30 "logo" is repeated at the top right, followed by the player's name in a team color, a short biography in black text, the card number in the same team color, and a team logo.

Parallels and Similars: None.

Distribution: Cards were inserted one per pack of 1998 Ultra Series 2 retail.

Thoughts: It's a simple design that works. I like the shiny fronts with the attractive set logo in the background. The card just stands out among others. The front isn't cluttered with crazy geometric lines, and it's obvious what the insert set means - the best 30 baseball players of 1998 (as far as Fleer was concerned). At one per pack, it's an inexpensive set to collect.

2000 Black Diamond Reciprocal Cut

2011-12-05T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 120 cards

Front Design: The color image on the front of the card is on the back of the regular release version, while the image on the back of this card was on the front of the regular set. The Reciprocal Cut parallel also has a die-cut edge and copper rainbow foil background. The player's name and team are in white and black rounded rectangles near the bottom.

Back Design: A pair of overlapping rounded rectangles hold the player's picture and a short highlight biography, along with player vitals and his team logo. The background behind the boxes has a grey version front photo.

Parallels and Similars: This set is a parallel of the base 2000 Upper Deck Black Diamond issue; there is also a gold foil parallel numbered to 100.

Distribution: Cards 1-90 (regular cards) were inserted 1:7 packs; cards 91-120 (Diamond Debut) were inserted 1:12 packs.

Thoughts: I like this parallel for the die cut and the switching of the photos. Fans of late-90s foil will enjoy the heavy use on the card front. The low-res foil matrix rectangle on the front adds a bit of Diamond Vision video board feel.

2000 Aurora Dugout View Net-Fusions

2011-12-04T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 20 cards

Front Design: A player photo over a baseball facility background fills most of the card, but the key gimmick here is the real net used in the card to make it look as though you're sitting/standing behind a guard rail. The set's name is along the left side, and the player's name, team and position are in the lower right. The net across the bottom is real and is embedded in a die-cut portion of the card.

Back Design: The net (and it's "railing") are visible on the back, which is aligned veritcally. Another photo background is behind the player's name, team, and position again, followed by a short highlight biography. The cards are numbered in the usual Pacific manner inside a white circle listing the set name.

Parallels and Similars: No other sets look like this, though there are other net-fusion sets issued by Pacific.

Distribution: Cards were inserted one in every 37 packs of Aurora.

Thoughts: I love many of the Pacific gimmick cards around this time, including the net fusion sets. They're tough enough pulls that building a set is a real challenge.

1996 Team Out! Game - Piazza and Matt Williams on the same team?

2011-12-03T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 101 cards including 10 actions and 91 MLB players, sized 2-1/4" x 3-1/2" (just a little narrower than standard cards)

Front Design: Cards are designed like other game or playing cards, with rounded edges. Action cards have red or blue edges, while player cards have black edges. Real MLB player personalities are used in the action cards (see Mike Piazza and Matt Williams somehow both playing in the field at the same time, in different jerseys). Color photos are used for the actual players, with the position at the top and bottom of the card, and the player's name and team at the bottom of the photo.

Back Design: The unnumbered cards have a baseball sweet spot background, with the Team Out! logo in the middle and copyright information along the bottom. Backs are all identical, as with other game and playing card sets.

Parallels and Similars: None known.

Distribution: Sold as a boxed set, containing 37 of 91 player cards and 23 of 10 action cards. This means action cards were printed in much greater quantities than the player cards (if my math is correct, approximately six times greater).

Thoughts: I like the goofy cartoon above. Matt Williams finds it incredibly hilarious that Clyde is out. Piazza looks creepy, but with the mullet, he looked like creepy trailer trash most of the time anyway. I wonder if they're playing at some Team Out! All Star Game, as there's no other way Williams and Piazza would be on the field together in different NL uniforms at the same time. The card game must have never caught on, as I don't think there was a second edition issued. I would like to have a set of action cards for my art collection, though. Don't buy your singles from eBay unless you're desperate. While the full set books for $40, the highest singles are listed at $3, and honestly, most can be had for a quarter at a card show if you come across one (eBay prices are, as usual, much higher than book).

1996 Select Claim to Fame

2011-12-02T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 20 cards

Front Design: A color player portrait is bordered by marble pillars or columns and background, with Claim to Fame "etched" into the marble arch above the photo. The player's name and team are printed in foil beneath the photo. The cards are die-cut around the pillar and arch.

Back Design: The marble background is repeated, with a gold "plaque" describing the player's Hall of Fame-worthy highlight. Cards are numbered at the top, and among the trademark and copyright logos at the bottom is a rectangle proclaiming the card is one of 2100 sets produced.

Parallels and Similars: No parallels, though other sets have similar-looking designs. This set is easily identified by the name at the top and the 1996 Select logo between the photo and player name.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into packs.

Thoughts: I love this set, with its super-glossy feel and die-cut edges. The card tends to fall out of stacks, but properly sleeved it can be enjoyed. Pinnacle Brands inserts of this era are usually attractive and somewhat limited.

1997 New Pinnacle Spellbound

2011-11-30T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 50 cards, with each player between 4 and 7 cards

Front Design: A swirling etched-foil design from the center of the card is covered by a letter from the player's name or nickname, which is outlined in gold foil and contains a color photo of the player. The player's name is at the bottom in gold foil, beneath the name of the set and the letters for that player in white. The position of the letter on the card is highlighted in yellow. Gold foil in the middle of the vertical borders spells out the word "SPELLBOUND" when the player's cards are placed in order.

Back Design: A grey swirling background copying the front design is behind a rectangular box with a color photo; the card number and set name is above, and an oval box at the bottom of the photo identifies the location of the letter.

Parallels and Similars: There are additional Spellbound sets in future issues, including a 1997 racing set.

Distribution: Cards were inserted 1:19 packs of New Pinnacle.

Thoughts: This concept would be taken several steps further in the future with the Letterman patch cards, and depending on your tastes, this version could be much better. It's less expensive, if you can locate the cards for your favorite player, though cards for players like Cal Ripken book as high as $15 each. The micro-etched foil screams late-90's insert gaudiness, and a series of these in a matted frame would look great on the wall.

2000 Upper Deck Hitter's Club

2011-11-29T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 90 cards

Front Design: Half the set is composed of subsets, so it's difficult to identify a card simply. There is no notation that this subset is part of "Hitter's Club" either. Regular cards contain a busy design of horizontal lines, with the text "Hitter's Club" in foil towards the bottom of the card. The player's name and team also appear at the bottom, with the position in an upper corner in silver foil, and his batting average in foil in the middle-left of the card. This Hitting The Show subset card uses green foil, with the subset name at the bottom. Jagged corners make it look like the photo is "breaking." The player's name is in the upper-left corner in green foil, and the Upper Deck logo is in the upper-right corner with the same green foil.

Back Design: Regular Hitter's Club backs copy the bottom design to the bottom back of the card, with statistics, vitals, and a short biography over a background photo. This subset contains a photo in the upper left, used again as a background image behind a short biography, vitals, and statistics. Note that Hitting the Show is a rookie-oriented subset, and the other major subset, Why 3K?, features players in the 3000-hit club.

Parallels and Similars: There are no parallels in this issue, and I don't believe Upper Deck issued this set again.

Distribution: This was a retail-only issue, with 5 cards in a $2.99 pack. There were six insert sets, an autograph set with an impressive checklist, and A Piece Of History series relic cards randomly inserted.

Thoughts: This is one of many forgettable sets Upper Deck issued around the turn of the century. The design is just plain ugly, though I get the idea - feature some of the best hitters in the game in their own 90-card set. The green foil is somewhat amusing, though, since you don't see it used on cards too often.

2007 Topps Rookies 52 Signatures

2011-11-27T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 66 cards

Front Design: The set mimics the 1952 Topps design, with a color photo inside a black frame, and a star-bordered black and white box at the bottom containing the player's name and an authentic autograph. The team logo is placed over the upper-left corner of the autograph box; the cards have white borders.

Back Design: A red box at the top of the card has "white" (really, it's grey/brown cardstock color) text including the player's full name and biographical data. Beneath that is a short career paragraph and the player's past year and lifetime statistics. An authentication hologram is in the lower left corner, with copyright and trademark information filling the rest of the bottom of the card.

Parallels and Similars: As mentioned before, the card set is designed to look like the 1952 Topps set, and is a parallel of sorts of the regular "52 Style" set. A parallel exists of this set with red signatures on the front.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into packs of 2007 Topps Rookies 52 Style cards. Three autographed cards were included in every 20-pack box of the product.

Thoughts: The 1952 design is perfect for on-card autographs, and this year's Lineage autographs help reiterate that fact (other than those giant boxes for the sticker autographs). The set focused on rookies, which means a box is really hit-or-miss with the quality of autographs. However, the set focused only on real rookies, and many of the players have gone on to have successful careers, including 2011 MVP Ryan Braun. That said, the 1952 Topps design is used over and over again, and it can become somewhat tiring. If your favorite 2007ish rookie is in the autograph checklist, then this might be the card to have, simply for the look.

Japanese Menko UPDATE: JCM 2: 1948 Baseball Back

2011-11-26T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 19+ cards (10 baseball), 1-1/2" x 2-3/8"

Front Design: A color cartoon depicting actual players or a generic team member is on the front, with Japanese text identifying the player and/or the team.

Back Design: The blue ink backs have a solid baseball with three crossed bats behind it, containing a mitt, trophy, and the words "BASE BALL". A menko number (math equation) is in a rectangular box at the bottom.

Parallels and Similars: This menko is easily distinguished from other menko issues by the large blue baseball and text on the back.

Distribution: It's unknown how these menko were distributed, but most menko were packaged in hanging bags, usually sold in uncut sheets of 2, 4, or larger. Most cards were hand-cut by someone along the way - the manufacturers, shop owners, or collectors.

Thoughts: These are wonderful, colorful cards. There will be many more to come. I have a record of 178 unique menko sets, and while I'm in Japan I hope I'm able to acquire and show most of them to you. This particular issue is not really scarce, other than a few cards. Using the math equations on the back, I'm able to determine that the card with the 7521x10 menko is either Testuharu Kawakami or Michinori Tsubouchi, while the other menko (6465x39) is either Torao Ooka or a generic Kyuei player (my guess: it's the generic player). It's always good to have a bit more information on the unknown cards in my collection! (And, 1 menko set down, 177 to go!) The set is given the designation JCM 2 (similar to T for tobacco/etc) which means to me: Japanese Classic (rectangular) Menko.

Additional Images:

1997-98 Score Board Autographed Collection Autographs

2011-11-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 24 cards

Front Design: The player's photo appears in a gray circle with white horizontal stripes. The card's background contains black and red stripes, with a black V running the vertical length of the card. The player's name is at the top in grey letters. An on-card autograph is on a white oval beneath the photo, with a Score Board authentic autograph watermark. A set-identifying logo carries a 1998 issue date.

Back Design: The tan backs contain the Score Board logo and an authenticity statement, with a Score Board logo looking to be embossed on the card. The cards carry 1997 copyrights.

Parallels and Similars: None known.

Distribution: Cards were inserted 2:9 packs of Score Board Autographed Collection.

Thoughts: For an unlicensed issue, this is a fairly nice autographed card set. The autograph is on-card, and the design is bold but not overwhelming, unless seeing lots of horizontal lines remind you of the blinds in your grandmother's house, which smelled like old people and had so many nice things that you weren't allowed to run around and play like you were at home. And what was up with all those little trinket boxes on the coffee table with random buttons and other found objects? Don't those objects have a home? Kerry Wood is the only name I recognize in this set, other than Helms, and Woods wasn't inserted into packs. Helms played for the Marlins through the 2011 season, but has probably seen his last MLB pitch. By the way, I haven't posted in a few days because I've been busy with my Japan preparations.

2005 Just Autographs Signatures

2011-11-22T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 49 cards

Front Design: The horizontal cards have a color action photo on the left side, about two inches square. The player's name and team are centered in the border beneath the photo. The MiLB logo serves as a background for the lower right side of the card, with the Just Minors logo in the upper right. A sticker autograph is placed across the photo and mILB logo.

Back Design: The photo is cropped somewhat smaller in the upper-left. The player's biographical data and prior year statistics are on the upper right; the bottom of the card is reserved for the player's name, copyright information, and a holographic authenticity/serial numbering sticker.

Parallels and Similars: There are three parallels of the autograph set. The non-autographed version has several parallels of its own - the full unautographed set has 70 cards.

Distribution: The autographs were inserted into packs of Just Autographs, with one autograph in every pack.

Thoughts: Other than the invasive foil sticker, this is a nice design. The back may not have much data, and more could be added by moving the MiLB logo and sticker, but it's a decent layout. Boxes are pretty cheap - 12 packs of 4 cards each (12 autographs) for about $35. While many (most?) of the players don't make the majors, at this price a couple boxes could yield some good players, and for $35 it could be a fun break.

2010 Sportkings National VIP Promos Duke Snider

2011-11-21T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 25 cards

Front Design: An artistic sketch of the subject is placed in the upper left, with the Sportkings Series D logo along the right border in a black banner. The player's name is printed just beneath the sketch, followed by a gold-colored 2010 National VIP logo.

Back Design: The card number is at the top with a VIP prefix, followed by a box with a congratulatory/advertisement message, the Sportkings name, and copyright data.

Parallels and Similars: None known.

Distribution: Cards were distributed at the 2010 National to visitors who purchased VIP ticket packages. Each VIP gift bag held five of the 25 promos.

Thoughts: I enjoy the pencil sketch images used in this set, and wouldn't mind a full set done in this style at some point. Perhaps when Topps brings back Gallery or Panini brings Diamond Kings back, they can do a "pencil sketch parallel" which would be the same image as the painting, done in a pencil sketch. Now that is a parallel idea. While we're at it, they could get those caricature artists from amusement parks to do goofy sketches too for a third parallel. I'm sure there are tons of art students who'd love to do this for cheap and turn out some relatively good work. As far as a set issued only for the purpose of distribution at the National, this is a pretty decent one. Since Sportkings didn't just take cards from their sets and foil stamp them and call them National Exclusives, this set has its own importance (ahem, Panini/Donruss).

2007 TriStar Prospects Plus

2011-11-20T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 100 cards

Front Design: A player photo takes up the top two-thirds of the card, with a colored band beneath holding the team logo and name in foil. The player's name is printed in foil across the top of the card.

Back Design: The backs have a tan document color, with a frame surrounding the text. The player's name and position is in a black band, followed by biographical data. Beneath a second informative black band is a brief career biography.

Parallels and Similars: Four parallel sets were included with this issue, all serial-numbered to 50 or less and autographed.

Distribution: Cards were distributed in pack form; each pack has seven cards, of which one is an autograph.

Thoughts: The release, overall, could be a very good deal. Getting ten autographs guaranteed in a box for about $60 could prove valuable if you pull one of the stars: Heyward, Moustakas, Bumgarner, Rasmus, Rizzo, and probably other names I don't recognize yet appear in the 100-card checklist. The base cards are uninspired and have a lot of empty space for no reason. This set isn't about the base cards, anyway.

1975 Yankees Dynasty 1936-39 TCMA

2011-11-18T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 54 cards

Front Design: For most of the cards, a black and white player photo sits on a white-bordered 2-3/4" x 4" card, with blue ink at the top stating "1936-1939 Yankee Dynasty" and the player's name and position at the bottom. The last five cards in the set have team photos and are larger (4" x 5-1/2").

Back Design: The backs are printed in black and appear to have been typed on a sheet of paper before being sent to press. They contain the player's full name and statistics from 1936-39. A very simple copyright line at the bottom identifies the set as being issued by TCMA.

Parallels and Similars: A reprinted and (slightly) extended version was released in 1983, with blue ink on the back instead of black.

Distribution: TCMA sold sets directly to collectors, as well as dealers and other hobby sources.

Thoughts: I really wish TCMA would have put a little more effort into the design of their cards in the 1970s, as they issued several topical sets that would be interesting to niche collectors. Instead, the set has only a photo and basic statistics, without even any insight on how the player factored into the dynasty. It's my thought that a topical set should tell a story or at least have each subject related back to the main theme. That said, many players from this set have only a handful of affordable cards, so issues like this bring historical players to modern times (at least, back in the 1970s).

2007 Topps Allen & Ginter Mini Flags (Flags of All Nations)

2011-11-17T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 50 cards, standard "mini" tobacco size

Front Design: The art for each country has a flag on a fancy pole waving over a background of a world map. An additional map of the nation and its surrounds is shown in a circle beneath the flag, similar to a magnifying glass enlarging the detail on the world map behind it. Topps Allen & Ginter's Flags, Brooklyn, New York is printed beneath the art.

Back Design: The monochromatic backs have an advertisement for the set at the top, followed by a checklist of the entire set.

Parallels and Similars: There are several tobacco-era non-sport mini sets similar to this design , of which several focused on national flags. This set should not be confused with any of those, due to the copyright information at the bottom and several other features which identify it as a modern release.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into packs of 2007 Topps Allen & Ginter.

Thoughts: I enjoy the non-sport mini sets Topps puts in Allen & Ginter, even if I don't always collect the whole set. From an interest standpoint, I'd love having a set of national flags in mini card form. There's only one problem - while the set is called "Flags of All Nations" there are about 154 nations missing from the checklist. I understand there are countries in turmoil and which may not have a flag, but Iraq and Iran are missing. Neither Korea is on the list.Where is Sweden? Topps should have gone full-speed with this set and issued flags for all the countries that have one. When will Transnistria get its due?

2008 Bowman Orange Luke Hochevar

2011-11-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

Set size: 230 cards

Front Design: A black frame with green or red highlights (depending on if the player is a rookie or veteran, respectively) surrounds the color player photo. A facsimile autograph is placed in a semitransparent box at the bottom of the photo, and the player's name, team, and position are beneath the photo in the frame. The frame itself is curved in the upper left and lower right corners. The card borders are orange. Note that some cards in the set are autographed.

Back Design: The curved-edge frame and coloring is repeated on the back. A small player photo is at the top next to his name and biographical details. This is followed by a scouting report (for rookies) or "Bowman Briefing" (same information, for veterans). Prior-year and career statistics are at the bottom; rookies have minor league statistics while veteran cards contain major league stats.

Parallels and Similars: This set is a parallel of the 2008 Bowman set. Other parallels for this issue are Blue, Gold, Red, and the four printing plates. There are also twelve Bowman Chrome sets including parallels and plates, but the card numbering differs.

Distribution: The orange set is serial-numbered to 250 and was randomly inserted into packs of 2008 Bowman. Autographed cards are also serial-numbered to 250.

Thoughts: Orange is such a 1990s color for baseball cards, but if there's one thing that I enjoy with Bowman parallels, it's the rainbow of borders. The 2008 Bowman design isn't bad, except for the nameplate on the front. The font choice and perforation line just look odd on the card.

2007 Just Rookies Autographs

2011-11-15T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 64 cards

Front Design: The set parallels the 2007 Just Rookies issue, with the added addition of a holographic autographed sticker on the front. The design has a full-bleed photo with a white rectangle around the player, and additional white tracing around the player's body. His name, position, and organization is at the top.

Back Design: The photo from the front is repeated, and text includes biographical information and minor league statistics. An authenticity hologram and the Just Minors logo fill the bottom third of the card.

Parallels and Similars: I already mentioned this set is a parallel of the 2007 Just Rookies base set, but there are 23 total parallels of the base issue, including autographed and non-autographed versions and printing plates for both.

Distribution: Cards were inserted into packs of Just Rookies. Each pack contained one autograph (though it could be a serial-numbered autograph parallel).

Thoughts: The lack of a border is a plus, but the white outline around the player's body detracts from the image. We all know how annoying sticker autographs are. At least it covers an appropriate part of Lotzkar's body?

1993 Upper Deck Supers: Off the grid and bigger than life!

2011-11-14T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 7

Front Design: The cards are reprints of 1991 Upper Deck, 1993 Upper Deck, and 1993 SP cards. The checklist is provided below. However, the cards are 8.5" x 11" instead of a normal card size.

Back Design: Again, the backs are reprints of other designs in a jumbo size, with one addition: cards are serial-numbered in a special logo placed somewhere on the back.

Parallels and Similars: These cards are jumbo-sized parallels of other issues.

Distribution: It is unknown how these cards were distributed. I wouldn't know where to begin looking for information, short of asking Upper Deck themselves - and even if they responded to an email I doubt they would know or bother finding an answer. Possible methods of distribution could include dealer premiums or previews, card show/convention premiums, or special local test issues released only in California. It's possible they were sold or given away at Heroes of Baseball events (again, possibly as test issues), as they have the same feel as the sheets released for that series. All this is speculation.

Thoughts: First and foremost, if you have any information on this set, please let me know! I'm a big fan of oddballs, especially odd-sized issues such as this. It's quite rare for a release by a major manufacturer to not be cataloged by Beckett. They're listed in the SCD guide (page 1545 of the 2009 edition). Perhaps someone who gets their hands on an updated SCD could check to see if there are any updates. I came across a handful cards from this release several months ago and picked up two examples - the Bonds above and the Finley below. I should have bought them all.

Why is Barry Bonds on the same base as another Giant? Somebody is OUT.

Checklist: cards are numbered below according to their original card number. Print runs were 1000 for most cards, with differences in parentheses. Issues copied other than 1993 are also noted below. If you have any additions to this list, please let me know!

6 Kirby Puckett/Triple Crown Contenders insert
10 Barry Bonds/SP
24 Eric Karros/1991 (2500)
75 Tom Glavine
77 Chuck Finley (2500)
155 Nolan Ryan (5000)
199 Roger Clemens/SP

Additional Images:

1980 Columbus Astros TCMA

2011-11-13T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 22 cards

Front Design: The cards have a red border around a black and white photo. The player's name and position are in a white band beneath the photo, with the team name in white beneath that. A sponsorship logo for McDonalds is placed to the right of the team name.

Back Design: The backs use the same wavy curved-edge design as the prior year, with an advertisement for TCMA at the bottom. The rest of the card has the team and league name, as well as player's biographical data and prior year statistics, all in blue ink. The manager's card, shown, eliminates most of the information, instead placing an advertisement for McDonalds in the middle of the card.

Parallels and Similars: All 1980 TCMA cards have the same design. Some team sets used color photos instead of black and white. Note that this card is a reprint; the white border on the card front and the use of black ink on the back are giveaways. This card was reprinted by TCMA for use in a collector's kit in the mid- to late-1980s.

Distribution: Team sets were sold through the Columbus Astros, and were available through TCMA and hobby channels.

Thoughts: The Columbus Astros played in Golden Park, a historic stadium that never seemed to draw crowds. The team became the Mudcats in 1989, and in 1991 moved to North Carolina. While I never saw the Columbus Astros play, I have seen a couple games in Golden Park, when the Catfish played through the 2008 season. They moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky in 2009, and became the Hot Rods. As for the cards, they are about as plain as they can be. This is the end of my TCMA posting spree. I am so glad to be finished with this group (though I'm glad to have them in my collection) and now I can move on to more varied releases.

1981 Wausau Timbers TCMA

2011-11-12T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 29 cards

Front Design: The very basic design has a black and white photo inside a rounded red border, with a white band across the bottom containing the player's name and position in black.

Back Design: The backs duplicate the rounded border, surrounding the player's name, position, team and league names, biographical information and prior year statistics (when available). The bottom of the horizontal backs has a black band with an advertisement for TCMA cards.

Parallels and Similars: All 1981 TCMA minor league sets have the same design. Some team sets were issued with color photos; those have black borders and red printing (the opposite of this design).

Distribution: Team sets were sold by TCMA, through hobby dealers, and through the team.

Thoughts: Ivan Calderon might be the most well-known of the minor leaguers included in the collectors set this card was reprinted for. He had a respectable .272 career batting average over 10 seasons, and was an All-Star in 1991. Sadly, Calderon was murdered in 2003 in his home country.

These TCMA cards are almost done! One more tomorrow, and it's back to major league releases!

1979 Tacoma Tugs TCMA

2011-11-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 26 cards

Front Design: The color photos have a thin black border. The player's name and position are beneath the photo in a yellow band; the cards have white borders.

Back Design: A wavy design holds the card number at the top and a TCMA advertisement at the bottom. The player's name, biographical information, and prior year statistics usually fill the remaining space. The backs are printed in black ink only.

Parallels and Similars: All 1979 TCMA minor league sets have the same issue. This card is most likely a TCMA reprint inserted into a collectors set in the 1980s; the only distinction for this issue may be lower-quality printing on this reprint.

Distribution: Complete team sets were sold through TCMA, dealers, and the Tugs.

Thoughts: One of the best names for a baseball team didn't last for too long. They were the Tugs for only one year, between several names based on their associations (Giants, Cubs, Yankees, Twins, and Tigers); they're now known as the Rainiers and are affiliated with the Mariners. The logo wasn't too impressive - the T has an anchor laid over it - which may have hurt the marketing. Granted, 1979 wasn't a good year to market a minor league team, as they were viewed as afterthoughts for small towns that weren't good enough for a major league team.

Additional Links: Matthew has the #5 card from this set, where you can see the darker, bolder inks on an original printing, over at Number 5 Type Collection.

1980 Waterbury Reds TCMA

2011-11-10T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 22 cards

Front Design: The red bordered cards have a black and white photo inside a rounded frame. The bottom of the card has a white band with the player's name and position in black; the team name is beneath the band in white letters.

Back Design: The blue and white backs use the same layout as the prior year, with a curving black band framing a TCMA advertisement at the bottom, and the player's name, position, team, league, biographical information, and prior year statistics above.

Parallels and Similars: All 1980 TCMA minor league sets have the same design, and some of the other issues released by TCMA that year have a similar layout. Note that my card above has a white border and a black-and-white back, indicating it was reprinted by TCMA for inclusion in a collector kit later in the decade. Original cards have blue backs, and the red border goes to the edge of the card. Some team sets (other than the Waterbury Reds) were issued in color, though the design is the same.

Distribution: The team sets were sold through TCMA, hobby channels, and team stores.

Thoughts: The black and white photos don't look good surrounded by the red borders. The color cards look a little better. I wonder if Tom Foley was such a bad infielder in the minor leagues that they let him play his position with the batting cage behind him in every game. Foley ended up playing 13 seasons in the majors.

Additional Links: Number 5 Type Collection has images of the non-reprint card #5 (Paul Herring) and a bit on the team.

1981 Wisconsin Rapids Twins TCMA

2011-11-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 23 cards

Front Design: A red rectangular border with curved corners holds a vertical black and white photo and a white band at the bottom with the player's name and position in black.

Back Design: The horizontal backs are black and white, with a rectangular border holding the team logo, player's name and position, and vital statistics. A big black box across the bottom has an advertisement for TCMA sets.

Parallels and Similars: 1981 TCMA minor league sets all have this design. It looks like some sets use black and white photos and others use color photos. I recall finding information a while back (I can't recall where) showing that TCMA gave teams a choice between the two. Color sets use black borders with red text instead of the red borders with black text seen above.

Distribution: Team sets were sold through TCMA, hobby channels, and minor league teams themselves.

Thoughts: This issue is a step backwards for TCMA, with an extremely uninspired design and no stats - the 1979 sets had stats, even if they were quite limited. That said, I like the inclusion of the team logo on the back. It would have been better on the front, in color, with a color photo, but this is an early 1980s minor league team set, so I can't expect much.

1979 Tidewater Tides TCMA

2011-11-08T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 25 cards

Front Design: A thin black frame surrounds the color photo, with a sine-wave line at the bottom separating the yellow-background box containing the player's name and position. The top corners of the black frame are rounded inside the white borders.

Back Design: The wave pattern continues vertically along the left side of the card, ending in a black banner at the bottom above a TCMA advertisement. The rest of the card back contains the player's vitals and very basic 1978 statistics.

Parallels and Similars: All 1979 TCMA team sets follow this same design.

Distribution: About 4000 sets were made, some of which went to the team to be distributed as they wish. The rest were sold directly by TCMA and through hobby channels.

Thoughts: Despite the relatively basic design, this layout is more appealing than many of the 1980s issues TCMA released. I'm wondering - do any professional baseball players wear stirrup socks anymore?

Additional Links: Matthew at Number 5 Type Collection doesn't have the Jeff Reardon from this set yet, but he's featured several other team sets issued in 1979 by TCMA.

1986 Jackson Mets TCMA

2011-11-06T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set size: 27 cards

Front Design: The fuchsia border surrounds a color photo of the player, with his team name beneath the photo in the border. A black band at the bottom of the card holds the player's name and position.

Back Design: The plain backs have the team and league names, followed by the player's name, jersey number, and position. Vitals and prior year statistics follow. A sponsorship for Mallette's, a sports card shop, is in the middle, with a TCMA advertisement in a banner at the bottom of the card.

Parallels and Similars: All 1986 TCMA minor league team sets have this design.

Distribution: Cards were sold through team stores, hobby means, and TCMA. I'm sure Mallette's got a nice handful for sponsoring the team.

Thoughts: This authorized reprint meant for inclusion with a collectors kit seems to differ only by the banner at the bottom of the card back: this banner is black and white, while I think banners on original cards have a green tint. Thankfully, this is the last of my 1986 TCMAs for a while, but I have some late-70s/early-80s to wrap up over the next week. Mike Santiago is the only player in the group of 1986 cards that doesn't seem to have made the majors, despite having an acceptable record. In fact, he never got past AA Jackson, despite having a 1.86 record in 1987 as a reliever.

1986 Omaha Royals TCMA

2011-11-05T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 25 cards

Front Design: A rectangular purple border outlined in black surrounds a colored photo, with the team name in the bottom of the border. A black banner across the bottom of the card holds the player's name an team name.

Back Design: The plain backs contain the team and league names, followed by the player's name and biographical stats. His prior year statistics follow. A banner advertising TCMA cards sits across the bottom of the card.

Parallels and Similars: All 1986 TCMA minor league issues have this design.

Distribution: Cards were sold through TCMA, the team, and hobby channels such as stores and shows.

Thoughts: I ended up with four different team's reprints from this 1986 set in the lot I purchased from the collectors sets. That is a lot of bright colors. Schuler is an interesting card to reprint, because at the time of this printing, his rookie year was about six years in the past. He was never too successful a pitcher in the majors, and 1985 was his last year in the majors. He would go on to coach for a few teams after retiring.

1986 Jacksonville Expos TCMA

2011-11-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

Set size: 26 cards

Front Design: The photo is inside a fuchsia border with black edges; the player's team is beneath the photo in the border. A black band at the bottom of the card has the player's name and position.

Back Design: The white backs have black text with the team and league names, player's name and vitals, and statistics. An advertisement for Golden Glove, a sports card store, is beneath the stats; a dark green banner advertising TCMA minor league sets is at the bottom.

Parallels and Similars: All 1986 TCMA sets have the same design.

Distribution: TCMA sets were sold complete through the manufacturer, hobby channels, and the team.

Thoughts: This card is most likely a reprint that was packaged with a collectors set issued by TCMA. The regular cards appear to have a greenish tint to the banner on the back, while this one is black. The very plain design on the front is the least-creative of all the TCMA minor league issues I'm familiar with, and the use of fuchsia in the border is an odd choice. John Trautwein was pretty much a flop in the majors, and even his minor league record wasn't too goo, but around the time printing was one on the reprint issue, he was probably a fairly promising prospect.

2001 Fleer Premium A Time for Heroes

2011-11-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 20 cards

Front Design: A clock face contains the team logo, with the set, player, and team names beneath. The player's photo is placed beside the design, with a background pattern that resembles what one might see looking at dirty linoleum tile while intoxicated.

Back Design: The backs repeat the design elements from the front with an explanation of how the player shown is a hero.

Parallels and Similars: None known.

Distribution: Cards were inserted into packs of 2001 Fleer Premium at a rate of 1:20.

Thoughts: I like the use of a clock, since it's not seen on baseball cards as a design element too frequently. I'm not sure what the idea was behind the background, which really does look like a blurry picture of someone's kitchen floor or dated wallpaper.

1986 Albany Colonie Yankees TCMA

2011-11-02T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 32 cards

Front Design: The white bordered cards have a photo contained in a purple frame with black inner and outer edges; the team name appears beneath the photo in the frame. A black bar across the bottom of the car has the player's name and team.

Back Design: The backs follow the same basic TCMA layout as prior years, with the team and league, followed by the player's name, position, biography, and prior-year statistics. A TCMA advertisement banner is at the bottom of the card.

Parallels and Similars: All 1986 TCMA team sets have this design, and this card is a reprint used for a collector set - the TCMA banner on the back is black, while I believe original issues had the banner printed in a dark green ink.

Distribution: Team sets were sold by TCMA, through hobby dealers, and through the team itself.

Thoughts: Purple is an interesting choice for a trading card border. There isn't much to the design here - even less than in prior years. Prior to owning this card, I was unaware of a team in Albany-Colonie (which, really, is two different cities side by side; the team played in Colonie but Albany is the bigger city). The stadium was located right next to the airport but was demolished a couple years ago - all that remains is an empty field and some blacktop.

2003 Topps Pristine Factor Bat Relics

2011-11-01T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 15 cards

Front Design: The shiny Finest-like card front has a horizontal foil-etched pattern of blue lines that fades into a black border. A photo of the player is placed over the blue lines, with the set name, player's name and position in white over the black bottom border. The bat piece is contained in the "O" from the set name.

Back Design: The set name is repeated at the top, with a cropped blue-tinted version of the front photo placed in the O. The player's name and "factor" (highlight/reason) for appearing in the set follows, succeeded by the "authentic bat" notification. The card number is in a red box in the lower-left corner.

Parallels and Similars: There is a refractor parallel of the set, serial numbered to 25 copies.

Distribution: Pristine Factor bat relics were inserted 1:9 packs of 2003 Topps Pristine, a high-end release that focused mainly on uncirculated cards..

Thoughts: The cards appear to be made from the same card stock and printing processes seen in the Finest line. The background reminds me of a TV with no reception, but it's a fairly clean design. The photos on Pristine always appear plastic and two-dimensional, partly due to the card stock and partly due to the lack of context background to add some depth to the photo. Alex Rodriguez, Mike Piazza, and Nomar Garciaparra are the standouts in the checklist, making this a fairly simple relic set to collect, if it your style of design.

1988 Donruss Baseball's Best

2011-10-31T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 336 cards

Front Design: The cards follow the 1988 Donruss design, but use orange, red, and black colors fading into each other in blocks as the border. The player's photo appears in an inner white frame, with his name and position in white text in a red band across the bottom. The team logo is also placed at the bottom of the photo.

Back Design: The vertical backs have a yellow/orange-ish border, with a rounded-corner black frame surrounding the text. The player's name, vitals, team, and the card number are in an upper box, with career statistics in the middle box. The bottom section of the card describes how the player was acquired by the team.

Parallels and Similars: This set uses the 1988 Donruss design, though it isn't a parallel of the set. There are a few other issues in 1988 that follow the same design, but the orange borders are unique to this set.

Distribution: The set was sold complete through retail outlets in a special box late in 1988. Six copies of a 15-piece 3-1/2" x 2-1/2" Stan Musial puzzle were included with the set.

Thoughts: It's easy to see why this is called the Halloween set. It's the only full set I can recall (other than team issues) that relies heavily on orange (EDIT: OOPS!). The set reminds me of 1987's Opening Day - a similar set issued early in the 1987 season. Maybe due to the unique color scheme, this set is much more appealing to me than the regular 1988 Donruss release. I had to borrow the image from COMC because my example is locked in a storage box 2511 miles away.

2001 Fleer Premium Star Ruby

2011-10-30T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 230 cards

Front Design: A parallel of the 2001 Fleer Premium set, the player's photo stands out over a foil background, while a white border around three sides of the photo have the player's name (top), team name and position (side), and set name (bottom), all in a ruby red foil. The cards have an additional black border.

Back Design: The backs contain player's vital information, recent and total statistics, and a second color photo. The cards contain a serial number in the lower right, and the card number in the top right has an "SR" prefix.

Parallels and Similars: This set is a partial parallel of the 2001 Fleer Premium set, with the SR prefix, serial numbering, and foil color being the easy distinguishing characteristics. There are no other parallels in the set. Cards 231-235 are the only ones to not appear in this parallel, having been available through redemption.

Distribution: Cards were printed to 125 serial-numbered copies and randomly inserted into packs of 2001 Fleer Premium.

Thoughts: The Fleer Premium set isn't one of my favorites, mainly because of the foil background and excessive use of border space. The backs are laid out well, though, with an attractive but readable font. Some collectors would prefer full career statistics, but five years works well enough for this issue - I believe Fleer issued at least one other set that year that contained full statistics. I appreciate the fact that there is only one parallel in this issue, and it's limited to a challenging quantity. 125 cards isn't that much, making it a tough but not impossible acquisition for player collectors. For set builders looking for a real challenge, an edition of only 125 makes for a real difficulty.

2011 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Memorabilia

2011-10-29T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 51 cards

Front Design: The fronts are designed similar to the regular Goodwin Champions release. The player's photo is at the top, with his or her name and sport over the photo. A curved banner containing an eagle and the letters "M" and "C" identifies this as the memorabilia set. The memorabilia itself is contained in a gold-bordered "M" cutout, with embelishments on either side. The Goodwin Champions logo banner is across the bottom.

Back Design: The backs are much less detailed, and are printed on gray cardstock. The card number (or letters) are at the top, followed by authentication text. Copyright and logos are at the bottom.

Parallels and Similars: A dual memorabilia parallel exists for 11 players, but they are easily distinguished from the regular set.

Distribution: Memorabilia cards were inserted about one per box of 2011 Goodwin Champions. They are separated into groups, with the easiest group being 1:22 packs and the most difficult single-memorabilia tier at 1:14,613.

Thoughts: Goodwin Champions had its detractors because of the use of casual images, but I think it is one of the best releases of the year. The memorabilia checklist is pretty impressive across several sports, which makes this set even better of a multi-sport release. This is the first 2011 card featured in a long time, and the first relic card on the blog.

1985 Durham Bulls TCMA

2011-10-28T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 31 cards

Front Design: The photo is surrounded by a thin black border, while the rest of the card is blue, with the team name across the top and the player's name and position sideways on the left side.

Back Design: Team and league names and the player's name, position, and jersey number are at the top, followed by vital statistics and 1984 stats. The bottom half of the card contains local sponsor logos and a TCMA advertisement banner.

Parallels and Similars: 1985 TCMA cards all carry the same design. Note that this card is a reprint, used in collector starter sets, and can be easily distinguished from regular 1985 TCMA cards by the white border.

Distribution: Team sets were sold through TCMA, hobby channels, and the team itself.

Thoughts: Not all TCMA sets contain sponsor logos, which in my mind add a bit of local flavor to an otherwise nonspecific team issue. Assenmacher is another player who made the majors, which most likely explains all the players who were reprinted - recent callups. He had a decent career, though it mainly came in on-save relief.

1985 Richmond Braves TCMA

2011-10-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 26 cards

Front Design: The blue-bordered cards have the player's name and position sideways along the left border, and the team name across the top. The photo is surrounded by a thin black frame.

Back Design: The backs are black on white, with the team and league names at the top, followed by the player's name, position, and jersey number. The vitals and 1984 stats are followed by sponsor logos and a TCMA banner advertisement.

Parallels and Similars: All 1985 TCMA minor league sets follow this design. Note that my example is a reprint most likely distributed with collector sets issued in the 1980s. The reprint is distinguished easiest by the white border seen in the scan - originals do not contain the white border. Several TCMA cards were reprinted (many of which I have featured on this blog), but usually there are only a few cards from any given year, and no more than one from any team.

Distribution: Cards were sold in team set form through TCMA, hobby means, and teams themselves.

Thoughts: This is one of TCMA's less attractive designs, with the blocky 45-degree angled borders and excessive use of capital letters on the front. On the other hand, I always appreciate a minor league set.

1985 Syracuse Chiefs TCMA

2011-10-26T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 31 cards

Front Design: The cards feature a blue border with the team name at the top, and the player's name and position sideways on the left. The color player photo is surrounded by a thin black frame. (Note: my card contains a white border as it was apparently reprinted by the company for use in a collecting kit.)

Back Design: The backs are black and white, with the team and league name at the top, followed by the player's name, position, and uniform number. Vitals and prior-year statistics follow, with a TCMA advertisement in a banner across the bottom.

Parallels and Similars: As noted, this card is part of the reprinted issue; real 1985 TCMA cards would have a blue border that reaches the edge of the card. All 1985 TCMA minor league sets follow the same design.

Distribution: The team sets were given to teams for sale or distribution at the ballpark; additional quantities were sold through hobby channels and the manufacturer. Approximately 3000 sets were made. The entire set was not subject to reprinting, and I believe only the Tom Filer card should be expected to be part of the reprinted cards.

Thoughts: The black border confines the image a bit more than necessary, as does the big cut taken out for the player's name. The card has about the same feel as any other TCMA issue in terms of design and quality. I'm not sure why Tom Filer was chosen for reprint, except than he had a pretty good year with Toronto in 1985, going 7-0. He must have had an injury, because he didn't pitch anywhere in 1986 and 1987, and wasn't really successful when he returned in 1988. He's a coach with the Altoona Curve now, according to his sparse Wikipedia page.

1998 Fleer Tradition Diamond Standouts

2011-10-25T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 20 cards

Front Design: A foil background of a baseball diamond is behind the color player photo; the player's name and the set's name is printed in foil on the bottom.

Back Design: The baseball diamond is repeated in the background over a cut diamond design background. A second photo and a writeup about how the player stands out is placed over the baseball diamond. The team logo is in the upper left, and the card number is in the upper-right.

Parallels and Similars: None.

Distribution: Cards were inserted 1:12 packs of Fleer Tradition, which replaced the Fleer flagship brand that year.

Thoughts: The scan doesn't do the background any justice, especially with all the cardboard dust on the card. That said, I'm not too big of a fan of foil backgrounds.

2005 Topps Rookie Cup Yellow and Red

2011-10-24T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 160 cards in each set.

Front Design: A color player photo is placed over a background of either yellow or red which contains the Topps Rookie Cup logo over the outline of the Topps All-Star Rookie team cup. The player's name and team are at the bottom of the card in white with black outline. The backgrounds are designed to look like printing plates. The last ten cards in the set are autographed.

Back Design: The background of yellow or red is repeated, with black text containing vitals, rookie season highlights, rookie year stats, and career stats.

Parallels and Similars: The yellow and red sets are both parallels of the regular set - other parallels are blue, gold, green, orange, and silver, plus printing plates. There is also a parallel set by number only which reprints the player's rookie cup card, with chrome, refractor, and gold refractor parallels. There are no other sets which look similar to the regular set design.

Distribution: Red parallels were serial numbered to 499 (autographs 399), while yellows are 299 (autographs 199).

Thoughts: As a novelty, the idea of parallels looking like printing plates is an interesting concept, but I'm glad it never took hold.

Additional Images: Red Parallel:

2002 Nestle

2011-10-23T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 6 cards

Front Design: An action photo jumps out of a silver circle. The player's last name runs up the left side, beneath which sits a monochromatic portrait photo. His name and position is across the bottom.

Back Design: The circle design repeats on the back with a third photo on the left hand side. The player's vitals and biography sit to the right; recent and career stats are in a table across the bottom.

Parallels and Similars: The design is fairly unique, though it feels slightly like 2010 Topps (or should I say, 2010 Topps looks like this set).

Distribution: Cards were inserted into Nestle ice cream products.

Thoughts: For a food issue, this is a pretty attractive set. There are major issues that have weaker designs than this set. The use of three photos and full-color, full bleed designs makes this set equal to or better than many regular issues. At only six cards, it's easy to put together, and the checklist is pretty strong - Bonds, Chipper, Piazza, A-Rod, Sosa, and Ichiro.

1986 Woolworth's Topps

2011-10-21T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 33 cards

Front Design: A color photo is surrounded by a thin black border with a turning page design like the 1961 Topps issue. Unlike the 1961 set, this has yellow borders; "Topps Collectors' Series" appears at the top, and "Super Star" shoots from behind the photo. The player's name is in the lower-left corner.

Back Design: The blue and green toned backs have a white border; the background resembles home plate, the batters boxes and foul lines. The player's name and position is at the top, along the first base foul line; vitals and career highlights are beneath in "fair" territory. Yearly and career statistics for batting average, home runs, and RBI fill the rest of the card; the card number is in the upper-right corner and copyright information ((C) 1986 TCG) is in the lower right.

Parallels and Similars: None known.

Distribution: The complete 33-card set was issued in its own small box, similar to a deck of playing cards, and sold in Woolworth's variety stores. The checklist is on the back of the box.

Thoughts: While the box identifies the set as a Woolworth's issue, there is no logo or other identifying information to link the cards themselves to Woolworth's. There are several issues which have this issue. Unlike yesterday's MSA/M&M's release, this Woolworth's set has team logos and better photography. Granted, Topps probably did all the work on the design. Until now, I never noticed the homage to 1961, but it's a nice touch. The yellow isn't as overwhelming as 1991 Fleer, but it detracts a bit from the card.

1987 M&M's Star Lineup

2011-10-20T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 24 cards

Front Design: The player's color photo is airbrushed and placed in a waving blue flag border. His name, team, and position is in the bottom of the blue border; the top of the border has the card number and set name. The M&M's logo, an M&M mascot, the MLB logo and copyright information all appear on the front.

Back Design: The monotone red backs repeat the flag design at the top, with the player's year-by-year (since 1980, even for players not playing - see the Wade Boggs example) and career statistics in a few categories, and some career highlights in bulletized form.

Parallels and Similars: None known.

Distribution: The cards were distributed in pairs, attached with a perforated edge, inserted into large packages of M&M's candies.

Thoughts: I believe this is the only attempt M&M's made at inserting cards. For a 1980s oddball issue, the design is acceptable, even though it is quite strange to see the copyright information on the front. The photo quality leaves a lot to be wanted, especially Boggs here - it looks like they caught him at the end of batting practice on an early spring evening, on a day when the sun didn't even come out. Wade asks, "Wait, what's this photograph for? Candy? You're making a Boggs Bar? Oh, M&M's? Can you call them W&W's, you know, for Wades and Wades? You mean they already are W's if you hold them upside down? Well I'll be darned!"

2002 Donruss Fan Club Die-Cut

2011-10-18T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 200 cards

Front Design: This parallel set has the player on a team color-faded border, with grid designs at the top and bottom. The player's name, team logo, position, and jersey number are all located at the bottom on and next to a white step design. The cards are die-cut into a shape similar to a stylized "S".

Back Design: The S-shape defines the diagonal statistics in the middle of the card. A second photo is in the upper right, with vitals, team logo, card number, and player name in the upper right. The bottom of the card contains copyright information.

Parallels and Similars: This card is a parallel of the 2002 Donruss Fan Club set. There are five parallels (including the "Best of Fan Club" release) of the base set. This parallel should be easily identifiable by the die cut. The die-cut parallel only parallels cards 1-200; the regular Fan Club set contains 300 cards.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted 1:4 packs of Donruss Fan Club.

Thoughts: This was the "easy" parallel pull in Fan Club, and it is unclear what the purpose of the parallel was other than to die-cut the regular cards as a quick method of making parallels. The die-cut is an interesting shape (it reminds me a lot of the Z-series inserts from Zenith in the 1990s, just backwards). However, it is the definition of "unnecessary parallel."

1989 Starting Lineup Greats (Cards)

2011-10-17T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 19 cards

Front Design: The player's photo appears in sepia inside a white border. The top of the card is a white banner with the Starting Lineup Baseball Greats logo. The rest of the card has a brownish border; the player's name and nickname appear in white beneath the photo.

Back Design: The blue-on-white backs contain the player's vitals and complete career statistics including postseason play.

Parallels and Similars: None known.

Distribution: Cards were included with Starting Lineup player figurines. The figurines and cards were sold in pairs, with each player paired with another specific player that shared similar traits, or (more often) played on the same team. There is an odd number of cards, which means at least one player was in multiple pairings. Cursory research determined that Hank Aaron appears with Carl Yastrzemski or Eddie Mathews. Both pairings include the same card and figurine. I didn't see any other dual pairings, but they could exist - there are four Yankees in the set that could be rearranged. All packaging-back images shows seven pairings, accounting for 14 figures - even the Yaz/Aaron pairing shows the same seven arrangements, even though they're not on an advertised pair. While there don't appear to be any card variations, there are figurine variations, most notably the Ruth/Gehrig appearing in both home and away jersey colors.

Thoughts: Starting Lineups are cool. They were inexpensive action figures of the best baseball players of the time, AND they came with a card, too! They represent the time when toys and figurines were still about being fun, though collectors were taking note. They don't have the detail of a McFarlane, but they don't carry the price tag of a McFarlane. Unfortunately, the better quality won out, so SLUs stopped being produced after 2001.

Checklist: Cards only - figurines exist for each card, but other than the Ruth/Gehrig variations mentioned above, I'm not aware of any variations. The cards are unnumbered. If you know of any variations not listed please let me know!

Hank Aaron (grey Braves script)
Ernie Banks (away)
Johnny Bench (away)
Roberto Clemente (home)
Joe DiMaggio (home)
Don Drysdale (away)
Lou Gehrig (home and away)
Bob Gibson (away)
Reggie Jackson (yellow)
Mickey Mantle (away)
Eddie Mathews (home)
Willie Mays (home)
Willie McCovey (away)
Stan Musial (home)
Pete Rose (home)
Babe Ruth (home and away)
Willie Stargell (away)
Billy Williams (home)
Carl Yastzemski (home)

1999 UD Choice StarQuest Red

2011-10-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 30 cards

Front Design: In a design similar to, yet even more confining than the flagship 1999 Upper Deck release, a color photo is inside a red foil trapezoid with lines emanating from the center of the card. The player's name is at the top, with his team and the StarQuest logo at the bottom.

Back Design: The lines and red color repeat in the background. A cropped version of the picture is at the top, with the team logo and player's vitals. The player and team names and a career highlight appears beneath the StarQuest logo.

Parallels and Similars: This red version is a parallel of the "base" blue version; gold and green are the other two parallels. The StarQuest line was migrated to flagship Upper Deck and used as retail inserts in 2008 and 2009.

Distribution: Red parallels were inserted into packs of UD Choice at a rate of 1 in 23 packs.

Thoughts: I have a hard time finding red foil attractive. The same can be said for gold foil, only because it's been used so much by now. The cards aren't ugly, and can certainly be seen mixed in with a stack of base cards. For an insert in a low-price release, it's not too bad. I would like to have seen more done with the space on the back. Roger Clemens did much more in his career before the 1998 season!

Tales of the Unknown: 1991 Playball Ken Griffey Jr.

2011-10-15T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: Beckett lists 50, but it looks like the set might go into the 60s. It also appears that while Playball may have manufactured 66 or more cards, those cards are most likely distributed between other players (see below).

Front Design: Designs through the set differ, though several use the design seen here: a full bleed color photo with a two-tone bar at the bottom listing the player and team. Most cards also have a matching bar across the top identifying this as a Playball set in varying sizes. The cards I found that number in the 60s are usually identified as promos and contain a colored border around the card.

Back Design: The backs are very plain, with Griffey's name, team, and the year of issue in large print. The MLB and Mariners logos fill the bottom half of the card.

Parallels and Similars: It seems that a glossy version of the set was released in limited numbers (15,000?) and serial numbered on the back; the glossies may be identified by a line of text in place of the card number. The glossies might also have a holofoil border, but my sample size is too small to determine if this is consistent throughout. The promos mentioned above are identified on the back with a line of text between the year and card number.

Distribution: Cards would have been released through hobby channels, most likely sold as complete player sets to dealers who would then sell the sets at shows and card shops. As mentioned above, the entire "set" containing several players appears to number around 66 (plus unnumbered promos). Identified players include Griffey, Don Mattingly, Will Clark, and Darryl Strawberry, and numbering is spotty at best. It is entirely possible only 40 regular cards, plus glossy and/or gold issues of 26 cards, were released. This could hint that two players were eliminated from the release for whatever reason - the Mattingly gold cards appear to be numbered 4 and 5, and the Griffey glossies seem to be numbered in the 60s.

Thoughts: This release is quite complicated for such a minor issue in the overproduction era. I may have to go through some even deeper research to fully determine what card numbers exist for what players, and in what format. If a bit more thought was put into the back of the card, Playball's issue could have been good competition for Star, if such a thing was necessary. The individual player set never really caught on, though I wonder if it might today - there seem to be more player collectors than set collectors, and a well-developed series of player issues might do well. It's already looking like some manufacturers are moving that way - after the success of sets featuring artists like KISS and Michael Jackson, Pete Rose has his own issue, and Leaf Metal sales might be driven almost entirely by the chase for an Ichiro autograph.

1998 Donruss Days Ken Griffey Jr.

2011-10-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 14 cards

Front Design: The cards have a similar design to 1998 Donruss, with a foil finish and a radiating light burst. A star and banner design at the bottom contains the player's name and team, and the Donruss Days logo is at the top. The card is thicker than normal Donruss cards.

Back Design: The backs have a full-color shot on the right, with the team logo placed over it. The left side of the card contains the player's name, vitals, career statistics, and a short biography, all placed over a team logo background. The words "Limited Edition" appear at the bottom, mixed among all the licensing information, and the card number "of 14" is at the top center.

Parallels and Similars: The set is based on the 1998 Donruss issue, and several parallel versions were released that year. The set is easily identifiable by the logo in the upper left of the front of the card.

Distribution: Several of each card were sent to dealers in certain areas. To obtain cards, collectors had to redeem cards picked up at local stadiums. Each dealer received full sets, plus extra cards of local players. Each redemption card could be exchanged for any card from the set until the dealer ran out. No more than 10,000 cards of any player were printed.

Thoughts: I wasn't sure what I had when I found this card in a quarter box, but I knew it was somewhat special. It's a good looking card, even with the typical Donruss foil overlay. The original 1998 Donruss design is pretty strong, and it should be a somewhat easy set to put together.

1983 ASA Duke Snider

2011-10-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 12 cards

Front Design: A color or black and white photo of Duke Snider appears in a thin black frame, and his name appears beneath the photo in an identical frame. A thicker red line surrounds both in the white borders, with red bunting in the upper corners.

Back Design: A red and black border surrounds part of a "story" of career highlights that carries over from card to card.

Parallels and Similars: None.

Distribution: Cards were most likely sold through hobby means - either by ASA or through distributors and dealers. Card number 1 is available autographed and serially numbered to 2000, but entire unsigned sets were also available.

Thoughts: The design feels like a TCMA issue, and ASA might have been inspired by TCMA. ASA stands for Authentic Sports Autographs, a company which issued several similar sets in 1983 including stars like Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron. Mickey Mantle had a 72-card set in 1982, also issued with an autographed version.

1979 TCMA 50's Bill Virdon: Snow or Sand?

2011-10-08T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 291 cards plus two "bonus" cards

Front Design: A player photo with a thin black border is printed on white-bordered cards. There is no writing on the front.

Back Design: The back has a basepath surrounding the card number, and the player's name at the top. A red band contains vitals, which is followed by a career biography. Lifetime stats finish up the card before a second red band with copyright information and the title "Baseball History Series."

Parallels and Similars: Several TCMA sets follow this basic design, and identifying the exact set usually involves checking the card against a database.

Distribution: TCMA sets were generally sold by the company and through hobby channels.

Thoughts: I could easily dismiss this set because of the lack of design on the front, but the simple concept is great for all the themed sets TCMA produced over the years. While their sets dealing with post-1950 players aren't as important, several TCMA sets feature World Series champion team sets and players from pre-World War 2, not to mention all the minor league sets issued in the 1970s and later.

This particular card stands out because of the photograph itself. What must be Forbes Field is clearly visible in the background (correct me if I'm wrong), but is Virdon standing on sand? Or is that snow? I first thought it could be fluffy frozen water, but the more I study the card, the less I'm sure.

1983 Perma-Graphic Credit Cards Reggie Jackson

2011-10-06T03:00:00.000-07:00

Let's finish off the phone card trilogy with this one!

Set size: 36 cards, sized the same as a credit card - 2-1/8" x 3-3/8", printed on plastic material like credit cards.

Front Design: Two years from their first release, the design has changed greatly. The card is vertically oriented, with a color photo inside a gold border with a 1983 Super Star "plaque" beneath. A gold banner lists the player's name, team, position, and league. A white border surrounds the photo's frame.

Back Design: The backs are the same as the 1981 release, with the player's vitals, career statistics, and a highlights biography. Lacking from this card is a box at the bottom for player signatures, though at least on Jackson's card, the space remains. The biography of Jackson's card is slightly updated to reflect his accomplishments in the past two years. Reggie Jackson is card 27 in the set, and if you look closely in the bottom right corner, the last two digits of the card code represent the card number.

Parallels and Similars: A gold-tinted parallel, limited to 1000 sets, also exists.

Distribution: Cards were again produced in cooperation with Topps, and sold in complete set form.

Thoughts: The front design has become much more ornate, from a simple photo and text to this fancy plaque motif. The design itself isn't bad, but certainly feels like an early-80s Topps release. Despite the credit card material, size, and feel, they look like cards. It really wouldn't be until 1995 Studio's release that a card release looked like credit cards.

1981 Perma-Graphic Credit Cards Reggie Jackson

2011-10-05T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 32 cards, shaped, sized, and made of the same material (plastic) as credit cards.

Front Design: A color photo is on the left of the horizontal card, with the player's name, position, and team in the white space on the right. A black line border surrounds the photo and text on the otherwise white card.

Back Design: The backs are black-on-white, and are designed similar to a regular trading card. Vital stats, career statistics, and career highlights fill the back, except for an empty black-bordered box for autographs. The card number appears in the bottom-right corner - this is card number 7 in the set. Note the TCG copyright in the middle of the bottom line of text.

Parallels and Similars: Perma-Graphic issued a few sets in this style between 1981 and 1983, but this set has no parallels and can be distinguished by its design and the 125- prefix in the card number.

Distribution: Sets were sold for about $40 in 1981.

Thoughts: The design is quite plain, with the photo on the front of the card taking up a very small amount of space, and plenty of white space left around it. Future designs are more interesting. The company still exists, by the way, manufacturing similar (generally non-collectable) cards.

1996 Assets Phone Cards $1,000 Promos Cal Ripken Jr.

2011-10-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 5 phone cards, approximately the same size as a credit card.

Front Design: A full-bleed color photo fills most of the card, with the Assets logo and player name in a band across the bottom. The denomination of the phone card is at the top in gold foil. The promo version is distinguished by the word "PROMO" running up the left side of the card in grey.

Back Design: The back contains information on how to use the phone card. The promo card has information about the upcoming set.

Parallels and Similars: There are several phone card denominations in 1996 Assets, all with essentially the same design. As noted above, this promo is easy to distinguish from the authentic $1,000 phone cards, especially by checking the back.

Distribution: The $1,000 phone cards were randomly inserted into packs of 1996 Assets, a Classic set.

Thoughts: Chase phone cards were all the rage back in the mid-90s, if you were a company like Classic. Although phone cards didn't make the full push into MLB sets, they were a way of adding actual value to minor league and five-sport sets as this. The $1,000 set contains one player from each of the five sports, but pulling one of these cards was almost guaranteed not to happen. As a somewhat-unique marketing tool, phone cards are a fun variation to collect, and a reminder of how people tried to avoid long distance charges fifteen years ago (remember 10-10-220, or whatever that code was?).

2004 Bazooka Stand-Ups

2011-10-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 25 cards

Front Design: A color picture of the player is placed over a two-toned background. His name, team, and position are at the bottom, and a facsimile signature is placed over the lower half of the photo. The card is scored and die cut such that the top color portion can be folded to make a pop-up style card.

Back Design: The backs are mostly blank, except for legal information and the card number at the bottom.

Parallels and Similars: This set has no parallels. However, Topps issued stand-ups in 1964, Bazooka issued stand-ups in 2003, and 2011 Lineage included stand-ups. All these issues have the same style, with minor differences in color and design.

Distribution: Cards were inserted 1:8 hobby packs and 1:24 retail packs of 2004 Bazooka.

Thoughts: As with the other issues, the Stand-Ups are a fun way to bring some simple interactivity and displayability to cards. That is, of course, if you decide to "damage" the card by folding it out.

1998 Metal Universe Universal Language

2011-10-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 20 cards

Front Design: A color photo is placed over a global map with a baseball seam shadow. The player's name and set name appears in foil along the side and the cards are die cut at the top and bottom.

Back Design: A portrait appears at the top, with the player's name and team beneath. A biography about the player fills the middle of the card and is printed in the player's native language. The card carries the global map design from the front by presenting longitudinal and latitudinal lines.

Parallels and Similars: None.

Distribution: Cards were inserted 1:6 packs of 1998 Metal Universe.

Thoughts: This is a great looking set. The coloring gives it an antique map look, and the card has a matte finish that meets that illusion. The foil is minimal, readable, and appropriate. The use of different language on the back based on the player's country of origin is a nice touch (but the effect is lost when the home language is English, like with Jeff Bagwell). Among a sea of foil and shine, this set does insert design right. Fleer consistently provided great insert concepts and designs.

1998 Donruss Elite Craftsmen

2011-10-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 30 cards

Front Design: Blue bands at the top and bottom of the card border a color photo over a metallic foil background highlighted by random geometric shapes.

Back Design: The blue background carries over the geometric shapes from the front of the card, with a second color photo appearing in a semicircle. A short biographical paragraph appears on the card. The number and serial numbering appear in the upper-left.

Parallels and Similars: A red-bordered parallel titled Master Craftsmen was also issued.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into packs of 1998 Donruss Elite, and are serial-numbered to 3500.

Thoughts: This set has the typical Elite feel - foil and shape-based designs on inserts that don't have a "baseball" inspiration, which is why I don't collect any of the Elite sets other than the "Elite Series" continuity insert set.

1997 Denny's Holograms (Pinnacle) Alex Rodriguez

2011-09-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 30 cards

Front Design: The cards use Sportflics technology on the front, featuring a full-bleed motion photo with a white band across the bottom containing the Denny's logo, player name, and team name. The 1997 Pinnacle logo appears at the top.

Back Design: The left half of the back has the player's vitals, career highlights, and prior year and career statistics over a baseball background. The right half of the card has a hologram portrait of the player.

Parallels and Similars: None.

Distribution: Denny's patrons could buy a card for 59 cents each when purchasing a meal and drink. Card #30, Larry Doby, was distributed exclusively in the Cleveland area and isn't considered part of the set.

Thoughts: The set contains one card from each team, plus a commemorative Jackie Robinson card and the Larry Doby commemorative card. While the Sportflics card concept never really caught on, this design makes for one of my favorite Denny's sets, second behind the 1994 issue.

1998 Stadium Club One of a Kind

2011-09-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 400 cards

Front Design: The cards parallel the 1998 Stadium Club set. A high-quality full-bleed color photo is interrupted only by the player's name in the bottom left corner, and a small Stadium Club "One of a Kind" baseball seam design in the lower right corner. The cards have a metalized foil finish.

Back Design: The backs are identical to the 1998 Stadium Club set, with another color photo filling most of the card. The player's name and card number is in the upper right corner and a baseball seam design fades most of the photo in one of the lower corners. A triangle with arced corners holds the player's vitals, statistics, and a short biography (the amount of information varies by player). On veteran players, a career highlight appears at the bottom of the card, aptly named "The Bottom Line." Cards are serial numbered in the upper-right corner.

Parallels and Similars: This set is a parallel of the 1998 Stadium Club set. There are two other serial numbered parallels in this issue; First Day Issue had a 200-card print run, and printing plates.

Distribution: Cards in this set had a 150-card print run. Cards were randomly inserted into hobby packs at 1:21 to 1:24 odds, and HTA packs at 1:13 to 1:14 odds.

Thoughts: I'm not sure why Topps felt the need to include a second parallel so closely numbered to the traditional First Day Issue set. I'm also not sure why a set called "One of a Kind" isn't a one of a kind issue (thus numbered 1/1). For a set that features some of the best photography seen from year to year, the foil treatment detracts from the card image.

Additional Images:

2002 Leaf League of Nations

2011-09-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 10 cards

Front Design: A color photo of a player is cropped over a background containing a globe and national flags of various countries - the player's home country flag is printed brighter than the others. His name and team logo appear at the top, and the set name is printed next to the photo in silver foil. The cards are printed with a foil background.

Back Design: The flags, globe, and set logo are repeated at the top, followed by the player's name and team in a black band. The bottom half of the card has a short highlight biography printed in English and the language of the player's nationality.

Parallels and Similars: None.

Distribution: Cards were inserted 1:60 packs of 2002 Leaf.

Thoughts: A large quantity of players in the set are from Asian countries, possibly due to the Asian craze that swept the hobby after Ichiro's success in 2001. The overall design and set concept are great, except for the foil background.

2010 Topps Series 2 Attax Code Cards

2011-09-28T03:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 27 cards

Front Design: The fronts are set up to play the Topps Attax game, with a player photo over a grayscale background, his team logo in the upper-right corner, and the player's name on the left-hand margin. The bottom of the card contains a ToppsTown code and three numbers related to the game.

Back Design: The backs are identical from player to player, with a mostly-blue deck design. The Topps Attax logo features prominently in the middle, but a giveaway as to which player might be on the front is the team logo in the lower half of the card.

Parallels and Similars: These cards are parallels of the regular Topps Attax set, with the addition of the ToppsTown code printed in the middle of the card. Each series of flagship Topps (including Update) has its own code set, and the only way of distinguishing between series is to check the code in the very bottom-right of the card back: Series 2 cards have Code #36210156. Any Topps card with a CPSIA code can be identified at the Topps Website, although it won't give you the exact set. Entering this code at the website tells you this is 2010 Topps Baseball Series 2 Reprint, but that is good enough to identify the series.

Distribution: Cards were inserted one per second series flagship Topps pack.

Thoughts: I'm sure these cards would be much more fun if I played the game. The 2010 issue doesn't have much pizzazz, and it doesn't feel like a game card. Instead, the Attax code set feels like an afterthought, added to packs as a filler or dummy. Unfortunately for pack openers, the card counts toward the total count.

Additional Images: card back (enlarged to show code at bottom)

1998 Stadium Club In The Wings

2011-09-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 15 cards

Front Design: A radiating-circle holofoil design is on the sides and bottom of a color photo. The bottom of the card contains the set name and the player's name.

Back Design: The vertical backs have another photo at the top. The player's name, position, team, vitals, and prior year statistics are in the center of the card, with a short biography at the bottom. The radiating circles repeat as a background behind the text.

Parallels and Similars: None.

Distribution: Cards were inserted 1:36 first series Stadium Club packs, and 1:12 HTA first series Stadium Club packs.

Thoughts: The backs look more like a minor league release than an insert. The checklist is fairly impressive for a rookie-based set. The foil design is typical late-90's Topps, but it's a solid design.

2007 SP Authentic Authentic Speed

2011-09-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 50 cards

Front Design: A color photo of the player is shown over a double ellipse design. The inner ellipse contains the background for the photo, while the outer ellipse has a closeup of the photo printed in a team color. The outer ellipse has a circle which holds the team logo; beneath that is the player's speed statistic (stolen bases). The set name and player name is in the lower left.

Back Design: The ellipse design repeats on the back with a short career highlights paragraph and a repeat of the player's speed statistic.

Parallels and Similars: The set has the same design as Authentic Power, issued in the same series (see yesterday's post). There are no actual parallels, relics, or autographs.

Distribution: Cards were inserted in 1:2 packs of 2007 SP Authentic. As such, each pack contained either an Authentic Speed or Authentic Power insert.

Thoughts: I might enjoy the Power version of the insert a little bit more because of the checklist - there are no players in this set that I collect.

Additional Images: card back:

2007 SP Authentic Authentic Power

2011-09-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 50 cards

Front Design: The color player photo is placed over a double-ellipse design, with the inner ellipse containing the background and the outer ellipse containing a closeup of the photo printed in a team color. The team's logo is in a circle on the right and his power statistic is beneath it. The player's name and set name are in a box in the lower left.

Back Design: The backs repeat the ellipse design, which holds the set name, player name and team, power statistic, and a short highlight paragraph.

Parallels and Similars: There are no parallels, but a similar set called Authentic Speed was released in the same set.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into 1:2 packs of 2007 SP Authentic.

Thoughts: The set is fairly attractive, and was created without parallels, relics, or autographs in mind. It's not quite my collecting style, but the cards would be nice for my player collections (Pujols, Griffey Jr, Thomas, and Chipper are all in the set).

Additional Images: card back:

1998 Topps Gallery Player's Private Issue Auction

2011-09-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 150 cards

Front Design: The cards have a color photo surrounded by a frame designed to look like a piece of art hanging in a museum. The bottom of the frame states "Players Private Issue" and the player's name is beneath the frame.

Back Design: The backs contain the official rules for the Gallery auction, where players could bid using the auction points in the upper-right corner on one of ten pieces of framed artwork.

Parallels and Similars: The set parallels the regular Topps Gallery release and the fronts are identical to the Private Issue parallel, which is printed on thicker card stock and has regular card backs with statistics.

Distribution: Cards were inserted one per pack of 1998 Topps Gallery.

Thoughts: Even though these cards are simply a way to enter the auction, compiling a full set of 150 cards is a challenge. By including players on the front, the set becomes something more than a filler card to be thrown away, which was a smart move by Topps.

2002 Topps Heritage Classic Renditions

2011-09-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

Set size: 10 cards

Front Design: The cards are supposed to show the player in 1953 team uniforms. A "painted" image of such is shown on the front, inside a thin black border. The bottom of the card contains the player's name and the set's name in a banner, beneath which is the team name.

Back Design: The gray cardstock backs repeat the banner design at the top, with the player's name, position, team, and card number. A short biography follows in a red box.

Parallels and Similars: An autographed version exists for three of the cards.

Distribution: Classic Renditions were inserted 1 in 12 packs of 2002 Topps Heritage.

Thoughts: I know Kerry Wood was a big name back in 2002, but the Cubs uniforms really haven't changed too much in 50 years. I like the idea of throwback uniforms, and I think it would be great if Topps took advantage of all the games that feature throwback uniforms to put together a couple insert sets showing players in older threads. The same could be done with some of the special event uniforms (such as Fourth of July). There are several teams that use alternate jerseys on Sundays which would be great for inclusion as well - perhaps a whole 30-card insert, with each card having four variations - home, away, throwback, and alternate. This would be a good idea for a set like Opening Day if done simply, or a painted set like Gypsy Queen where the different uniforms could be painted on to the players in the same image. Call the set "Alternate Threads" and have a relic parallel set for some of the players.

By the way, I think we're finished with Heritage for a while. I'm not sure how I ended up with so many Heritage cards, of several years, all at once.

2010 Topps Heritage News Flashbacks

2011-09-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 10 cards

Front Design: A photo relating to the subject is surrounded by a thin black border. The bottom of the card has a semicircle with the Topps Heritage logo, and two colored bars with a title and subtitle.

Back Design: The gray card stock backs repeat the title in a black bar at the top, along with the card number. A yellowish panel contains a write-up about the topic. A cartoon at the bottom contains an additional news headline from the year.

Parallels and Similars: The News Flashbacks series has existed since 2008.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into packs of 2010 Topps Heritage.

Thoughts: I enjoy the tie-in to the biggest news articles of the year. The design isn't too inspiring - I'd rather see the set look similar to some of the old news headline cards Topps issued back in the day, similar to the Sporting News All-Stars, or even replicating the non-sport issues like the back of 1962's Civil War News.

2003 Topps Heritage Chrome Refractor (AKA Retrofractor)

2011-09-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

Set size: 100 cards

Front Design: Cards are identical to the 2003 Topps Heritage design, which itself is based on the 1954 Topps design. Two player photos - one close-up portrait and a full-body action image - are cropped over a monochromatic background. The player's name, position, and team are at the top, as is the team logo. A facsimile autograph is placed over the photographs at the bottom. The fronts have a refractorized chrome finish.

Back Design: The backs replicate the 2003 Heritage design. The player's name, vitals, and career highlights biography appears in the white upper portion of the horizontal card. Prior year and career statistics appear in the middle, and a cartoon fills the bottom third. The card number is in a baseball in the upper-left corner, and the word "RETROFACTOR" appears beneath the THC-prefixed card number. Cards are serial numbered in the lower right corner over the cartoon.

Parallels and Similars: This is the rarer of the two parallels inserted into 2003 Topps Heritage. Other than the refractor finish, serial numbering, and retrofactor notation, cards are identical to the Topps Heritage Chrome set, which is a partial parallel of the regular 2003 Topps Heritage set.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into packs of 2003 Topps Heritage. Regular Chrome cards, of which there are four times as many, were inserted 1:8 packs, so we can assume these were inserted approximately 1:36 packs.

Thoughts: The 1954 Topps design isn't my favorite, but it is one of the best. Seeing it in refractor version is okay. I have one real problem with the card: the serial number on the back could have been positioned better. I won't be completing this set, since I don't really care for Heritage.

2010 Topps Heritage New Age Performers

2011-09-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 15 cards

Front Design: A player's cropped image is pasted over a two-toned star background; the player's name and team appear in a black box across the bottom with another star in the center. "New Age Performers" appears across the top in black and red.

Back Design: A black box is at the top with the player's name, team, position, and the card number inside a baseball circle. A highlight biography, prior year and career statistics, and a cartoon fill the rest. The cards are printed on "throwback" style gray cardboard stock.

Parallels and Similars: None.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into packs of 2010 Topps Heritage.

Thoughts: While the flagship Topps set has seen several insert changes over the past decade, New Age Performers has been an annual inclusion in Heritage since Heritage began in 2001. Like the other yearly inserts, there is nothing special beyond design and numbering to distinguish these from the base set. Since the design doesn't hold my interest, I've never collected this insert other than the single card needed for the Cardboard Zoo. For this card in particular, the biography links the 2009 Royals to the 1961 Senators and Greinke to Senators pitcher Dick Donovan. The card mentions Greinke's Cy Young Award, though the cartoon at the bottom shows the skinny-armed giant-chested player receiving a gigantic MVP button from the Monopoly guy.

1998 Stadium Club Royal Court (All hail King Chipper)

2011-09-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 15 cards

Front Design: "Uniluster" technology (whatever that is) was used to create the detailed, royal scrolling shield and border pattern surrounding a color photo. A foil banner at the top identifies the player as a member of the Royal Court, and his name is in a banner at the bottom.

Back Design: A second color photo is on the left, and a banner across the top and right identifies the player and whether he is a "king" or "prince" of some trait. Between the photo and banner is the player's team, vitals, and a writeup related to his trait.

Parallels and Similars: None.

Distribution: Cards were inserted into most types of second series packs at a rate of 1:36, and HTA packs at 1:12. Ten of the cards feature "kings" and the remaining five cards in the set are rookie "princes." There is no distinction in print run between the two groups.

Thoughts: The foil shield or scroll that surrounds the front photo has a great shine to it, and the whole card feels like foil overload in typical Topps turn-of-the-century fashion. If you're a fan of cards with intricate foil designs, you'll love this set like I do. If you're a traditionalist who hates anything but Topps Heritage and other throwback sets, you probably stopped reading this post a long time ago. I'm somewhat disappointed that I didn't already have a card from this set, because it would have been great to add this to my Chipper Jones PC.

2004 Fleer Greats of the Game Battery Mates

2011-09-17T22:20:00.000-07:00

Set size: 10 cards

Front Design: A pitcher and catcher who were battery mates (hence the set name) are shown in photos on the left and right side of the horizontal card. The player's name and position appear beneath each photo with the team logo between the two. There is a large amount of empty space above and between the photos, which is partially filled by a Fleer Greats logo and "Battery Mates" centered on the card.

Back Design: The player's names are repeated in a banner at the top of the card, and the years they were battery mates are beneath the players' names. A highlight fills most of the card; the cards are serial numbered to a year during their combined career at the bottom.

Parallels and Similars: Seven of the cards have a single-signed parallel numbered under 80, and six cards have a dual-signed parallel numbered to 10.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into packs of Fleer Greats. Cards are serial numbered between 1934 and 1979 depending on the years the two players were teammates.

Thoughts: I don't care much for cards with multiple players, most of the time. That is partly due to many of the pairings being based solely on the players both playing the same position, having similar statistics or comparisons, or being on the same team (see also: 2011 Topps Diamond Duos). Some multi-player cards get the pairings right, and this set is one of them (see also: ~1993 Upper Deck Teammates subsets solely for the logos, pairings, and generally interesting photos). On the other hand, the design is so basic and there is no real effort to pair the two images together with some pitcher-catcher theming. Something could have been done with all that empty space at the top. So while I applaud the concept, I disapprove of its execution.

2005 Bowman's Best Green, Red, Blue

2011-09-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

Set size: 143 cards for each parallel

Front Design: A color photo is surrounded on the right and bottom by a semi-transparent border. On the right side, four dots run vertically from the Bowman's Best logo to the nameplate at the bottom; First Year (card numbers 31-143) players are identified as such in the colored border. At the bottom, the team logo and player name appears in an L-shaped solid team-colored box. Depending on the parallel, the border overlays are red, green, or blue. Forty-three cards in each set (#101-143) are autographed.

Back Design: The backs contain a dot-matrix pattern in the same color as the front. The player's name, position, team, vitals, and prior year highlight appear on the upper right, while prior year stats are stacked against the league and level averages. The cards are serial numbered in the lower right corner (see Distribution, below).

Parallels and Similars: These cards are all parallels of the base Bowman's Best set. There are three other parallels: Gold, Silver, and Black, plus printing plates.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into packs of Bowman's Best. Green cards are serial numbered to 899 (399 for autographed cards), Blue cards are numbered to 499 (299 for autographed cards), and Red parallels are numbered to 199 (199 for autographed cards).

Thoughts: Bowman sets are known for their parallels, and six parallels with this set isn't surprising. These three cards are attractive, much more so than the gold-bordered parallels in the regular Bowman set. Being that Best is a premium issue, that should be expected.

Additional Images: card backs:

1990 ProCards A and AA

2011-09-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

Set size: 200 cards

Front Design: a neon orange background surrounds a wavy-cropped, red and white bordered photo and red box with the player's name, position, and team at the bottom. The ProCards logo appears in the upper left. (See Jason's comment below.)

Back Design: The backs are similar to most 1990 ProCards backs, with vitals and minor league statistics.

Parallels and Similars: None known. ProCards team sets feature a woodgrain plaque design, and the AAA sets have white or green borders.

Distribution: Cards were issued in packs and complete set form.

Thoughts: The bright colors make these easily found in most card stacks. I'm not sure if that's a good thing, given the number of players who didn't make the major leagues. There are several standouts in the set, though, including Frank Thomas and Jim Thome.

2005 SP Collection of Stars

2011-09-14T16:30:00.000-07:00

Set size: 100 cards

Front Design: A cropped color photo is placed over its black and white background. The bottom of the card contains a tangent-arc design around the team logo. The team name and player's position are on the left of the logo; serial numbering is on the right. The set name in a pinched-banner design follows the bottom border.

Back Design: The tangent-arc design carries over to the back, where the player's name, position, and prior years (up to five) and career stats appear. A career highlight appears beneath the totals.

Parallels and Similars: Jersey and autograph versions exist.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into packs of SP Collection, which combined SP Authentic and SPx. The set is serial-numbered to 299 total cards issued of every subject.

Thoughts: Completing the set is a decent challenge based on the checklist alone - in fact, at 100 cards, it is just as large as the SP Authentic or SPx base set (not including update additions). Being limited to 299 cards means it's a tougher set finish than most parallels. The design is attractive enough for an insert (at least on the front).

1990 Best Minor League

2011-09-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

Set size: 324 cards

Front Design: A full-bleed photograph contains the player's name, team, and position overprinted in black or white in one of the corners. The end of the set contains "bonus cards" (notated on back, but also numbered sequentially in the set) with black borders and red triangles in the photo's corners.

Back Design: The backs contain a "frame" in black and faded pink, containing the player's name, position, vitals, career summary, and prior year statistics. There is space for an autograph at the bottom.

Parallels and Similars: None known, though the front design (or lack thereof) is somewhat similar to other issues - how many ways can you do "minimal" design? These cards are easily distinguished by the copyright information at the bottom. Note: Best team sets contain a completely different design with white borders.

Distribution: Cards were issued in packs of 12 through the hobby.

Thoughts: The lack of front design makes this set favorable, but the image quality and frequent use of posed shots mean the cards aren't as attractive as they could be. Some cards have action shots. For about $5, this would be a good addition to a collection. Jeff Bagwell and Frank Thomas (with a regular card and a bonus card) are the only major stars in the set (Luis Gonzalez, Bernie Williams and Ryan Klesko also make an appearance).

1986 Southern League All-Stars

2011-09-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

Set size: 25 cards

Front Design: The top of the vertical card proclaims this player a 1986 "Future Star" surrounded by six red stars (other words, such as MVP and All-Star are used on other players). A thin black border contains a color photo, the Southern League logo, and the player's name, team, and position.

Back Design: The horizontal backs contain player's vital stats, a short biographical note, 1986 season stats, and team name and logo and set-identifying information at the bottom.

Parallels and Similars: none known

Distribution: Cards were likely sold by Jennings through hobby dealers, and possibly in stadiums.

Thoughts: There's a lot of white space on these cards, but it features a design that's somewhat unique among minor league card sets. Canseco, McGwire, and Glavine are also in this set, but my SC guide lists it at only $9, which means it was probably produced in much greater quantities than normal team sets. The stats are accurate through August 18, 1986, which might have been the end of the season. It's very difficult to readily find information like this! If that is the case, the set may not have been sold in stadiums until 1987 if at all. However, the hobby network would have seen this set soon as it could be printed.

1991 Score American Flag

2011-09-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

Card #737

1987 Chattanooga Lookouts Best

2011-09-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 26 cards

Front Design: A purple border surrounds a color photo with diagonal horizontal borders. The team's city and year of issue appears at the top, while the player's name and position are in a yellow-bordered white band at the bottom of the photo. The team logo also appears at the bottom of the card.

Back Design: The black on white/gray backs have the player's name and position and vital statistics at the top, while a professional career summary and prior minor league experience. The card number is in the upper left inside a baseball.

Parallels and Similars: Other Best minor league issues of the year will have similar designs.

Distribution: Sets would be sold through the company, dealers, and sometimes through the team store.

Thoughts: The design reminds me a LOT of 1986 Donruss. See both images for examples (the card back for the Best card is below). While others don't like the '86 Donruss design, it doesn't really turn me off. I never saw enough of it to get tired of the (admittedly plain) design, and the Canseco card was the first real, expensive card I ever owned... back when it was expensive. Is there any connection between Best and Donruss? It is very difficult finding information online on "Best minor league cards" given that everyone wants to tell you about their best minor league cards in their collection.

Additional Images: card back (different back shown):

1988 Star McGwire Green and Yellow

2011-09-09T15:30:00.000-07:00

Set size: 12 cards for the yellow set, 11 for the green

Front Design: Both sets are identical - a color photo is framed by a small black and white lined border, with the A's logo in the lower-left corner and McGwire's name and the card's title along the bottom border. The cards have either a green or yellow border, depending on the set. "Star '88" appears in the upper-right corner.

Back Design: The backs are identical and all printed in a green ink, repeating McGwire's name, the card title, and the A's logo at the top. The majority of the card is devoted to statistics, one season's highlights, career highlights, or other information about McGwire. These two sets are identified by the 1984 copyright date (despite the Star '88 notation on the front).

Parallels and Similars: All 1988 Star sets follow the same design, and there are two more sets issued that year with Mark McGwire.

Distribution: Cards were distributed by Star through dealers as complete sets. It is very rare to find a set broken up, especially given that most sets feature only one player.

Thoughts: While none of the cards would win an award for best photo, trying to fill forty cards with different photos of the same player means some of the photos are rarely seen on cards. Well, back in the 1980s, I suppose Fleer was really good about getting photos of players in the dugout, but these days images like the two above don't show up often on cards. Given the amount of recycling Topps does with photos, you would think some more (interesting/fun) dugout and non-action shots would make it onto cards. If you'd like to see more of this set, head over to my main blog, where a post hit earlier today with more photos from the set.

Additional Images:
card backs

1993 Fax Pax World of Sport

2011-09-08T23:58:00.000-07:00

Set size: 40

Front Design: A full bleed color action photo fills most of the card, other than a red-edged white band at the bottom containing the subject's name and home country flag.

Back Design: The backs carry the player's name and sport, vital stats, career biography, and basic recent and career statistics. The cards do not carry a copyright date, but are identified as FAX PAX, Printed in the U.K.

Parallels and Similars: None known.

Distribution: Sold as a set in a box similar to playing cards.

Thoughts: This set features some of the world's best athletes of the time, covering all manner of sports. Seven of the cards feature Olympic stars. The design is basic, but the photography is decent, and the player selection is better than Goodwin Champions. It's not a popular set because of its simplicity and its being issued in England, which means you don't see them too often, but they come cheap when you do. If you're into sports beyond the big four or non-sport issues you may be familiar with Fax Pax. They issued tennis, golf, soccer, and other sport and generally historic subject sets in the 1980s and 1990s.

1948 Topps Magic Photos

2011-09-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 252 total, 19 baseball subjects, 7/8" x 1-1/2"

Front Design: The vertical card fronts have a black and white photo with the subject printed over the photo.

Back Design: The horizontal black and white backs indicate which "series" it was from (in this case, "Aviation Pioneers"), as well as a trivia question relating to the subject on the front of the cards. The cards are numbered as part of each series. Baseball players feature a -K card number suffix.

Parallels and Similars: 1955 and 1956 Topps Hocus Focus cards feature the same concept and similar card front designs, though the backs of each issue are unique.

Distribution: Cards were issued in packs/wrappers with instructions on how to develop the photos. The photos were originally blank, and would need to be developed by spitting on them.

Thoughts: Gross. Really gross. Totally cool, but incredibly gross. Let's hope this is one concept Topps never brings back as a retro insert set. This issue contains the first baseball cards issued by Topps - four years before the iconic 1952 set. Not only is this the first baseball issue, it's the first card issue from Topps. Well-developed near-mint cards are worth $60 (and can easily bring more), but non-sport subjects in lesser condition with poorly developed photos are thankfully easier to pick up.

From Wikipedia: The subsets by group letter are: A Boxing Champions, B All-American Basketball, C All-American Football, D Wrestling Champions, E Track & Field Champions, F Stars of Stage & Screen, G American Dogs, H General Sports, I None issued, J Movie Stars, K Baseball Hall of Fame, L Aviation Pioneers, M Famous Landmarks, N American Inventors, O American Military Leaders, P American Explorers, Q Basketball Thrills, R Football Thrills, S Figures of the Wild West, T General Sports.

1995 Post Collector Series

2011-09-06T14:42:00.000-07:00

Set size: 16 cards, double-wide (3.5" x 5")

Front Design: The true "front" of the card contains a color photo on a blue marble background, surrounded by the year of issue in yellow on top, the player's name in yellow over a black border on bottom, and a black right-hand border labeling the set as the Post Collector Series. The true "back", seen on the left, contains the card number, player's name, position, team, vital stats, and a career biography. A second photo and career stats appear in the bottom half, with a facsimile signature in a black border at the bottom. The blue marble continues to the back of the card, with a white diamond watermark between the text and the marble. No MLB logos appear on the cards due to a lack of licensing agreement.

Back Design: The backs of the unfolded cards would be inside the card, when assembled as intended. This was a full-bleed color action photo with no text or design added.

Parallels and Similars: There is a Post Canadian set issued in 1995, but it has a unique design.

Distribution: Unlike previous years, when the cards would be inserted into cereal boxes and available through the company, the set was available only through limited in-store promotions. At some point, large amounts of unsold sets made their way into the market, and now the set is nearly worthless.

Thoughts: Of all the Post releases, this might be my favorite. The front and back designs are decent, but what I really enjoy is the oversized action photo with no interference. It would be great if Topps took a stab at an insert set like this. The image below reminds me of the 1997 Zenith set, which featured bright, colorful photography with only a Zenith logo on the front.

Additional Images: card back:

1983 Salt Lake City Gulls TCMA

2011-09-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

Set size: 26 cards

Front Design: A posed player photo is surrounded by a blue frame and white borders; a white-on-blue bottom-of-a-star style bar crosses the top while a similar bar at the bottom contains player name, team, and position.

Back Design: The black and white back has a banner at the top with the team and league names, a banner at the bottom with a TCMA advertisement, and space in the middle for player vitals and prior-year minor league stats.

Parallels and Similars: All 1983 TCMA minor league sets use an identical design.

Distribution: Cards were issued and sold by TCMA, but could be found through dealers and team stores. *Note: This actual card may be a reprint, possibly part of a sheet distributed with collectors kits in the mid-80s. However, the design is the same.

Thoughts: The Gulls were in Salt Lake City for a decade, heading from the desert heat to Calgary, Canada in 1985. The Salt Lake Bees took their place in 1994, under a series of other names. Spike Owen made his MLB debut the season this card was issued, and made his name defensively, though he was a key offensive contributor for the Red Sox in the 1986 ALCS. Spike sure seems excited to be a part of AAA on this high-school-pose photo.