2011 Finest

Set Size: 100 cards

Design Notes: A starburst design background and a colored, rounded frame are around a player photo. The backgrounds are silver. The back copies the design elements from the back.

Parallels and Similars: There were 13 different parallel versions: nine refractors and four printing plates. You can see a regular refractor card in my post here.

Distribution: Cards were sold in packs.

Thoughts: I think the refractor version looks really good with this design. It's attractive and dynamic, yet mature for the adult collectors who are the target consumers. I'm actually really happy with this version of Finest. Perhaps I'll try to put together a set someday.

2004 Mets Post Fleer (200th Post!)

Set Size: 9 cards on an unperforated uncut sheet, plus one bonus card

Design Notes: The player photos appear over a background with the Mets logo and their jersey number. Backs contain statistics, a short write-up, and a blue-tinted head shot.

Parallels and Similars: None.

Distribution: Uncut sheets were inserted into the New York Post. Cards are standard size if cut properly from the sheet. A bonus card of Kazuo Matsui was available from the Mets Clubhouse stores when customers showed the sheet and bought a pack of Fleer cards at the store.

Thoughts: This is a nice oddball to add to my collection. It has a nice design and features several stars. The header makes the sheet taller than a standard binder can hold but I'm sure it will display well in other ways. I found this sheet here in Japan, at a store on the west side of the Tokyo metropolitan area. It was a pretty good deal, too! I'm guessing the original collector got the sheet to get the Matsui card, and returned to Japan with it. Of course, they would have kept the Matsui or sold it for more money.

This is my 200th post! Thank you to all my readers and followers. As of this writing (on November 2nd, as I'll be in Nagoya doing sightseeing and card hunting when this posts) I have 43 loyal followers. Last month (October) I finally broke 1000 page views in a month (1249 total! with only 16 posts last month) and since starting in June last year (with a mostly-stagnant period the first nine months of this year) I have over 11,000 page views. I just realized while looking at my stats and history, I have made only about 25 posts this year, so most of my writing is really old.

My most-read posts (aside from the two posts that were my "last" for the long periods of empty blogness this year) are 1997-98 Score Board Autographed Collection Autographs, my Japanese Menko post, and 1993 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes (one of my favorite sets). Looking at the rest of the "top 10" it seems that the more oddballish the set (and the older it is) the more popular it is. Too bad I don't have tons of old oddball cards sitting around!

Right now I'm clearing out a scan folder from right before I left for Japan, which is why there are going to be a bunch of late-2011 issues in the next week or so. But my Japanese card collection is growing fast, and I have plans for presenting those cards sooner than later. Plus there are plenty of older cards and oddballs in my collection just waiting to be posted. And if I can somehow get the motivation, energy, and time together to sort out all my scans (from the US and Japan) I will have even better posts here for you in the future!

Meanwhile, I want to say thank you again to my readers for stopping by and looking at the most insane collection I think anyone could try to put together.

The card that started it all.

2011 Bowman Chrome Futures

Set Size: 25 cards

Design Notes: A silver background that resembles a futuristic computer disc is the background behind a player photo, the top and bottom are black with light blue highlights at the bottom. The backs are blue and black and contain a "scouting report" with some career highlights and strengths.

Parallels and Similars: There are four parallel versions, some of them numbered. All use various forms of refractor technology.

Distribution: Cards were randomly inserted into packs of 2011 Bowman Chrome.

Thoughts: If there was a set that ever looked like it was designed by the set designers of Minority Report, this would be it. The use of futuristic shapes and blue and black really hits that home.

2011 Topps Finest Refractors

Set Size: 100 cards

Design Notes: A starburst design is behind a photo of the player surrounded by a rounded frame in team colors; the design elements are mimicked on the back.

Parallels and Similars: There are 13 parallels (including the four printing plates) to the base card; this is the most plentiful parallel.

Distribution: The card was randomly inserted into packs of 2011 Finest and are serial numbered to 549.

Thoughts: 2011 Finest has an an attractive design and in refractor form the bright shiny background really stands out. If I was to ever put together a refractor set, this might be the one.

1999 Kenner Starting Lineup Cards

Set Size: 38 cards

Design Notes: The 1999 set has the player's name on the left-hand side, and the player's photo jumps from the background with a black shadow effect. The backs are black on white.

Parallels and Similars: Unknown, though other 1999 issues might use the same design.

Distribution: Cards were packaged with action figures of the pictured player.

Thoughts: This is a very vibrant design, with the graphics and player photo really standing out. Included with a toy, the cards have a very kid-friendly design. It also looks very much like the designs Fleer created in the late 1990s. Interestingly, despite the cards being part of the 1999 issue, the statistics only include about half of the 1998 season, and the cards carry 1998 copyrights.

For those of you who read every day, don't worry. I'm done with SLUs for a while!