Monday, January 6, 2020

Paring Down the Collection Set 2

I've made a decision on another set already. I came across the 1993 Pinnacle set.. While I love the look of the first two Pinnacle sets, I'm far and away closer to completing the 1992 set, so I've decided against trying to complete 1993.. 


These cards are beautiful. I just don't see myself getting the rest of the set. 

 That said, I do love the Now And Then cards contained in this set. I will be collecting them. 



One other interesting thing that comes from this set is one of the few cards made that shows Dave Stieb as a member of a team other than the Jays. 



Friday, January 3, 2020

2020 Collecting Goals and the First Decision Post

Well, as we hit that spot that the scientists like Neil DeGrasse-Tyson like to remind us is arbitrary.. 

Happy New Year... Three days ago... 

I'm not one to celebrate too much about the Christmas or New Years holidays now. Never was one for New Years. It always depressed me. The passage of time coupled with the year end retrospectives always made it a time where I would feel.. Incomplete? I've never been one to go out and get drunk, so that aspect is lost on me as well. 

But I know you're here for the card aspects here.. So while I don't like setting goals or resolutions.. 
I do have a couple goals for 2020..

1. 1978 Topps  I'm currently 29% into collecting it. It's my birth year set and I'd like to finish collecting it. I realize there are some expensive cards in it, so while completion may not be in the cards this year. even getting to 75% would be a win for me this year. That said. Anyone who has 78s let me know!!

2. Jays and Expos Collections  I'm continuing with them obviously, but I think this year I want to concentrate on the Topps Flagships for both teams. Go back to the start year for both teams and make sure I have the team sets from there. If I can complete this over the year, great!

3. Canadians Collection  Obviously keeping this one going as well. I'm also thinking about revisiting my Canadians in the Big Leagues thing I was doing for a while when I first started. 

4. One MILLION Expos  Now I know I won't get to One Million this year.. I'm barely over 11,500.
I don't know.. 30K? A Great year maybe 50K? This obviously means I need to get stuff out of my house as well.. Some stuff I've been sitting on for ages. 

5. Refocus My Collection There are some sets I'm collecting that I like.. There are some I'm collecting for the simple fact that they were there.. There are some that I'm collecting that I don't even like.. 
Well.. That last part is what this is about.. I want to go through my collection and decide if I actually Like the set.. If I do and I'm at say 50%+, I'll keep collecting it.. If I don't like the set, I'll pull my needs from it and trade off the rest.. I did find one exception to this one already though.. 

1992 Score

It's one of those sets I've been collecting on and off since 1992.. I don't know what it is.. I just can't really become too big of a fan of it.. I mean visually it's a nice card



But there's something about it that... Meh?? Realistically the only Flagship set I collected in 1992 was Donruss.. Topps' design bored me, but I ended up getting an OPC factory set. I like Pinnacle. Leaf is nice, though I like the Black Gold ones better than the Base.. Fleer was bland. Upper Deck was interesting, but it was also the same design basically three years in a row.. 

Then there's Score. The photos used are decent. Very Focused on the player involved. I don't think I'm a fan of the "Void Border" though. That band of.. Nothing... that the pictures invariably bleed into. 
The backs of the cards, I like. I like the information on the back, the stat lines giving minor league teams as well. The one thing I've always liked about Score sets are the bios. 

Sadly, this one will be one I'm going to get rid of aside from the cards I need to fill my collections. I do like one of the inserts though and will continue to collect it.. The Impact Players insert I really liked.. 

The Impact Player Inserts I'm 68/90 for completion. 

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Expos Frankenset Pages 85-88

The last post for now on the Frankenset.

Page 85
Card 757 is a 1991 Topps Mark Gardner
758 is missing
Card 759 is a 1985 Topps Jim Fanning
Card 760 is a 1986 Topps Andre Dawson
Card 761 is a 1992 Topps Mike Fitzgerald
Card 762 is a 1982 Topps Mike Phillips
Card 763 is a 1989 Topps Dave Martinez
764 is missing
Card 765 is a 1992 Donruss Junior Noboa
Again, the Noboa is a cheat. It says he's a Met, but shown in Full Expos beanie uniform.. 

Page 86
766 is missing
Card 767 is a 1992 Upper Deck Gary Carter
768 is missing
769 is missing
770 is missing
771 is missing
772 is a 1992 Upper Deck Archi Cianfrocco
Card 773 is a 1991 Topps Tom Foley
Card 774 is a 1987 Topps Wayne Krenchicki

Page 87
Card 775 is a 1992 Topps Ivan Calderon
776 is missing
Card 777 is a 1991 Score Nelson Santovenia
778 is missing
Card 779 is a 1982 Topps Grant Jackson
780 is missing
781 is missing
Card 782 is a 2003 Topps Total Zach Day
783 is missing


Page 88
784 is missing
785 is missing 
Card 786 is a 1992 Upper Deck Matt Stairs
Card 787 is a 1986 Topps Vance Law
Card 788 is a 1982 Topps Woodie Fryman
Card 789 is a 1991 Upper Deck Barry Jones
Card 790 is a 1992 Upper Deck Ken Hill
791 is missing
792 is missing


And there we have it. That's the final pages of the Frankenset.. 
If you have Expos and are willing to ship to Canada, let me know.. I'm sure we can work something out.. 

Expos Frankenset Pages 81-84

The second last page of this Frankenset for a while, aside from when I acquire cards to fill gaps.. I may also revisit if I acquire interesting cards.. 

Anyway

Page 81
721 is missing
Card 722 is a 2002 Upper Deck 40 Man Troy Mattes
723 is missing
Card 724 is a 2003 Topps Total Britt Reames
Card 725 is a 1981 Topps Steve Rogers
Card 726 is a 1991 Donruss Junior Noboa
Card 727 is a 1993 Topps Jonathan Hurst
728 is missing
Card 729 is a 1991 Score Mel Rojas
Obviously a couple Wrigley shots here with Noboa and Rojas. 
For some reason, I remember Britt Reames, but of course that was around the time the Expos were a revoloving door.. As soon as you showed talent and the possibility of making more than a couple million, you were gone..  

Page 82 
Card 730 is a 1982 Topps Gary Carter
731 is missing
Card 732 is a 1984 Topps Terry Crowley
733 is missing
Card 734 is a 1991 Score Scott Anderson
735 is missing
736 is missing 
737 is missing
Card 738 is a 1989 Upper Deck Mike Aldrete

Page 83
739 is missing
740 is missing
741 is missing
Card 742 is a 1987 Topps Andy McGaffigan
Card 743 is a 1990 Upper Deck Mark Gardner
Card 744 is a 1993 Donruss Rob Natal 
Card 745 is a 1990 Topps Hubie Brooks
Card 746 is a 1990 Upper Deck Delino DeShields
Card 747 is a 1989 Topps Wil Tejada

Natal is a bit of a cheat here, as the card lists him as a Marlin. He was taken by the Marlins in the expansion draft, but the card shows him in full Expos uniform, so I'm including him. If I get a better representation for that number, I'll consider it..

Page 84

Card 748 is a 1988 Topps Reid Nichols
Card 749 is a 1990 Upper Deck Oil Can Boyd
Card 750 is a 2001 Topps Grady Sizemore/ David Krynzel
751 is missing
752 is missing
Card 753 is a 1990 Upper Deck Howard Farmer
754 is missing
755 is missing
756 is missing

It's rather interesting to see who the Expos have drafted that ended up doing well elsewhere. 
Sizemore, obviously, never played for the Expos. He was traded to the Indians with Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips, and Lee Stevens for Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew. 
That was 2002.. The Expos ended up in 2nd place that year. Mind you, it was a DISTANT second.. 
But this was the era that MLB owned the Expos. 

Also, the same season, they traded Jason Bay. 


Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Expos Frankenset Pages 77-80

There are three posts left in this Frankenset string. The last three posts will feature four pages each just to get it done and over with.. 
After that's complete, I'll look at maybe doing a post on what I plan to accomplish this year.

Page 77
Card 685 is a 1986 Topps Tim Wallach
Card 686 is a 1992 Donruss Dennis Martinez
687 is missing
Card 688 is a 1990 Score Mark Langston
689 is missing
690 is missing
691 is missing
Card 692 is a 2004 Topps Total TJ Tucker
Card 693 is a 1990 Donruss Jeff Huson

Page 78
694 is missing
Card 695 is a 1993 Topps Kent Bottenfield
696 is missing
697 is missing
Card 698 is a 1993 Upper Deck Jimmy Jones
Card 699 is a 1979 Topps Hal Dues
700 is missing
701 is missing
Card 702 is a 1990 Upper Deck Rookie Threats
It's DeShields, Grissom, and Walker. 

Page 79
Card 703 is a 1986 Topps Tim Wallach
704 is missing
705 is missing
706 is missing
Card 707 is a 1987 Topps Bob McClure
Card 708 is a 2003 Topps Total Scott Hodges
709 is missing
Card 710 is a 2002 Topps Orlando Cabrera
Card 711 is a 1986 Topps Jeff Reardon

Page 80
712 is missing
713 is missing
Card 714 is a 1990 Topps Marquis Grissom
Card 715 is a 1992 Score Brian Barnes
716 is missing
Card 717 is a 1989 Upper Deck Spike Owen
Card 718 is a 1991 Score Howard Farmer (Hey it's Wrigley!) 
Card 719 is a 1992 Upper Deck Marquis Grissom
Card 720 is a 1989 Topps Tim Wallach


I'm thinking about adding this as one of the numbers that have no cards associated. 

It's from a set I received made by a member of the Trading Card Database. 



Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Expos Frankenset Pages 74, 75, and 76

Here we go with three more.. 

Page 74
658 missing
659 missing
Card 660 is a 1992 Donruss Steve Frey
Card 661 is a 1991 Upper Deck Bill Sampen
Card 662 is a 1992 Upper Deck Chris Haney 
Card 663 is a 1991 Upper Deck Mark Gardner
664 is missing
Card 665 is a 1993 Topps Darrin Fletcher
Card 666 is a 1992 Topps Tom Foley


Page 75
Card 667 is a 1982 Topps Jeff Reardon
668 is missing
Card 669 is a 1993 Upper Deck Tim Spehr
670 is missing
671 is missing
672 is missing
Card 673 is a 2002 Upper Deck Lee Stevens
Card 674 is a 1990 Topps Spike Owen 
675 is missing


Page 76
Card 676 is a 1993 Bowman BJ Wallace
Card 677 is a 1993 Upper Deck Mike Lansing
678 is missing 
679 is missing
Card 680 is a 1981 Topps Expos Team
Card 681 is a 1992 Upper Deck Barry Jones
682 is missing
Card 683 is a 1992 Fleer Dennis Martinez
Card 684 is a 1991 Upper Deck Dave Schmidt. 

Well, I might as well say it.. Happy New Year and all that.. 

Monday, December 30, 2019

Expos Frankenset Pages 71, 72, and 73

Just to get this finished, I'll be doing three pages of the Frankenset now to the end.. 



Page 71 
631 is missing
632 is missing
633 is missing
634 has no card available to it. (will likely be filled with an NNO)
Card 635 is a 1982 Fleer Fernando Valenzuela/Gary Carter
636 is missing
637 is missing
Card 638 is a 1982 Topps John Milner
Card 639 is a 1990 Score Mark Gardner


Page 72

Card 640 is a 1992 Donruss Doug Piatt
Card 641 is a 1983 Fleer Joel Youngblood 
642 is missing
Card 643 is a 1994 Collector's Choice Brad Fullmer
Card 644 is a 1993 Upper Deck Sean Berry
Card 645 is a 1990 Score Delino DeShields
646 is missing
Card 647 is a 1989 Topps Randy Johnson
648 is missing

Page 73

Card 649 is a 1994 Stadium Club Sean Berry
Card 650 is a 1987 Topps Hubie Brooks
Card 651 is a 1994 Collector's Choice Shane Andrews
652 is missing
Card 653 is a 1974 Bob Stinson
Card 654 is a 1994 Collector's Choice Tavo Alvarez
655 is missing
Card 656 is a 1984 Topps Bryn Smith
657 is missing 

There we go.. Three pages. 
I'll now be noting what numbers/holes have no cards associated with them.. 
As I mentioned in my last post, I was using the filter function on TCDB to find them. If the number didn't show up it was easy to figure it doesn't exist.. 

All total, I have 20 numbers that fit this criteria. So that'll be 20 NNOs likely.. I'll probably also look for different ideas to fill those holes.