2013 Topps Pro Debut

In the classic film Spaceballs, there's this scene where the evil-doers are literally combing the desert for Lonestar, Barf, and Company.  The commander, Dark Helmet, asks how the progress is going...one of the teams combing the desert says this:

That pretty much sums up my card buying experience these days.

But, I sprung for a box of 2013 Pro Debut.  I'm low on money, sure.  The Pro Debut only happens once a year!  Seriously, though, I usually buy myself one box of Pro Debut for the sole purpose that it will last me the rest of the year, off-season, AND spring training for sending TTM auto requests.  This card is perfect for TTM's.

Anyway, the cards are simply beautiful, once again.  Clean design.  Not too much in the way of fanciness to draw attention away from the subject.  Some might say they look cheap.  I, however, feel that the set looks simply elegant.  Kind of like the regular old Topps line for this season.  Simple.  Perfect for having them signed.

Here's the breakdown.  You get 24 packs in a box with 8 cards per pack.  Not bad seeing that I got very few duplicates in my box.  This is for a 220 card base set.  Decent.  This could very easily be a set-collectors product.

Topps did not over-do the inserts on this years Pro Debut.  There are no pink, red, puple...blah blah blah variation of every damn card.  There is one variation:  Gold #'d to 50.  Therefore these variations are super hard to get.  I got one.  That's it.  There seems to also be a very small (15 card) SP variation set.  Those should be tough to get, as well.

Of course there are autographed cards to chase.  Nothing to write home to mama about, though.  Sure, an Oscar Taveras auto would be nice, but there is very little that is going to make an average collector throw down their hard earned money for.  I'm not a very big fan of game-used cards and there seem to be a LOT within this product.

The verdict?  If you are a fan, go get yourself a box.  If you are a hit-chaser...run away.  Quickly.

View the super-rad checklist over at our friends at sportscardradio.

My "hits" for this break:  Jorge Polanco auto, Nicholas Martinez auto, Muddy Mudcat "patch" card (my goodness this card idea is fucking lame), Chris Reed GU, and Luis Merejo gold.  I also pulled one of the SP Puig cards...which, to me at least, is kind of cool.

When I get to 1k...

Hey all.  We're approaching a milestone here at Can't Hit The Curve...1000 page views.  This may seem like sort of a big deal.  But, I have to take a step back and be realistic.

About 90% of the views on the page are from Google bots and site-scrapers and various tools used by SEO's looking to spam the shit out of me.

But, I'm still psyched.  1000 views ain't nothing to sneeze at, right?

So, once we pass this milestone I will give someone a gift.  I know we all like something for free.  At least I do.

Leave a message.  Comment on something.  Just tell me you looked in on us to help get to that 1k point.  Then I will send you a gift.

I'm pretty sure it'll be a certified autograph card from my collection...

What's This Thing Worth?

So, a while back I pulled this thing from a box of Bowman Chrome Prospects.  I have no idea what it's worth.  Does anyone have a clue?  Can you fill me in here?

It's numbered to /10.

Sticking It Out

For a month or two, I had seriously contemplated selling off my entire collection.  Getting out of the hobby, for good.  Throwing in the proverbial towel.  Quit.  Kaput.  Finished.

I was going to sell it all.  Except for a few family heirloom type things:  the Gretzky practice-used autographed stick, the David Price SS, and a few others.  Hell, I could use the money...times is tough these days.  At least the blog is free...thanks Google!

But, I reconsidered.  I'm still looking to downsize but I am going to remain immersed in the hobby.  However, I'll likely not be buying boxes of product any longer.  Getting a few packs here and there to review here on the site will be enough to keep me going with the blog.  I will probably amp up my TTM habit, though.  There's something about connecting with players...who, like it or not, are actual REAL people...and having them send a little something back to the fans.  That, to me, is the ultimate.  It may not be cool but I don't really give a shit.

I'm going to focus my collection.  My childhood favorites (NHL Oilers, Mets, and Miami Hurricanes) and my hometown team Tampa Rays will be mostly what I collect.  I may...MAY...do some prospecting.  But, that will likely be solely through the mail.

So, why stick it out?  Basically, this hobby connects me to a far simpler time in my life.  Children live in an idyllic world filled with role models and heroes.  The collecting hobby transports me back to that time as a kid...it's really what it should do for all of us.  Hell, this ain't a hobby to make money with.  Sure, sometimes you can get a few bucks for a card or signature or whatever.  But, really, is that what it's really about?  I contend that it is not.

The collection continues.  Much of it is for sale.  Contact me if you want to purchase.  Or trade for my favorites...I'll send you a list of "wants" if you ask nicely.

Keep the faith, people.

2013 Topps Archives

In theory, I should really like Topps Archives.  My tastes run to the vintage-style cards and Archives is...well, it's vintage reprints.  So, I should be a fan.

But, I'm really not.  But, in the same breath, I am no enemy of the Archives, either.

I finally went back to the LCS and got a couple of packs.  Nothing too major.  Times are tough, economy is poor, I have no excess money, blah blah blah.  But, a couple of packs wouldn't break me.

The cards are what you would expect.  Various designs.  Nothing really cohesive to bring the set together.  In truth, the whole concept of Archives is a little bizarre.  "Hey, let's take every single card design we have ever had and put random dudes on each and spread 'em out so no one will know what the heck they are getting".  Just weird.  But, it's not a BAD product.

So, here's what you get:  A 200 card base set (which is pretty sizable), a 45 card short print additional set, a whole mess of inserts, and autograph hits of folks like Cal Ripken, Jr, Clayton Kershaw, Trout, Griffey, Jr, and Bob Gibson.  Truthfully, for hit chasers...well, it looks like theres some star power there.

Great news for set collectors.  Even though the main set is 200 cards, there are eight in a pack and the two packs I bought didn't have any dupes.  So, it's all good there.  Get to collating this weird-ish set.

But, all in all, Topps Archives seems pretty legit.  The price point is reasonable for broke-asses like me and you.  There are a bunch of cards in each pack.  There are some good hits to chase.  Nice work, Topps.  Even though the set does seem a little...funky.

Oh yeah.  My two packs:  Bryce Harper tallboy, Jim Palmer, Beltran, D. Wright, Kuroda, Wilin Rosario, Darvish, CarGo, J. Hamilton, Alex Gordon, Wade Boggs, a funky Yankees four piece card (looks like stickers...of Ruth, Jackson, Jeter, Mattingly), Eddie Mathews, Bumgarner, Jay Bruce, and Alcides Escobar.

Check out the checklist at our friends sportscardradio.com.

Back From The Abyss...With USA Baseball Champions

Random auto...

Hey people.  Well, I'm back from the dead...at least a hiatus from CHTC.  Anyways, it's good to be back and I'm ready to start berating you kind people with vitriolic spewings from the comfort of my "man cave".  You sound ready.

So, I'm back with a couple of packs rom Panini and their USA Baseball Champions set.  I bought the packs because I hadn't bought anything in a month or so.  In fact, I seriously thought about quitting the hobby altogether and concentrating on my love of crochet.  Joking.  I did think of quitting, though.  I found myself not enjoying the hobby as much...but, I think that was due to other issues going on and I was sadly projecting these negative vibes onto something completely harmless and defenseless.

But, I digress.

This looks kinda cool...

The USA Baseball Champions has a great looking card design.  I'm not sure about inserts or set size or anything important.  I just know what I got looked pretty stinkin' good to me.  There would be more to report about the specifics of the set but I'm just too damned lazy to look it up.  That's what your search engine is for.  Forgive me, I'm rusty at this writing a blog stuff.

So, my pack had a bunch of cool cards.  A lot of young USA ballplayers that are likely ten years from the majors.  But, I did hit a Roger Clemens insert (serial numbered) die cut thingie.  So, that's cool.

No autographs or jersey cards or anything like that.  Two random and uneventful packs.  But, it was a good start to getting back in the game.

I hope y'all missed me.  'Cuz I missed you!