Exiting 2017 with a Zippy Zapping!

Well, what do we have here?  A package from the one and only Luiiiiiisssssssss Torrens?

See, here's the problem. Kenny (Torren' Up Cards) and I have swapped cards so frequently over the years I can actually recognize his handwriting. I figure this is one of my super powers as I can be grading a stack of papers and recognize a students' writing within the middle pages of the test. Not a super power that you'll see within Marvel or DC Comics, but something I have a little skill at nonetheless.

Ah, and here's the proof!  It is a Zippy Zapping!

Woo-Hoo! Pack Wars material!  It's been awhile, but it looks like we're going to kick 2018 off on the right foot. Can't wait!

There were three cards in the yellow mailer which were not in the Value re-pack of Bowman. Oh, man. We got some good stuff here!

How 'bout that!  The VOGELMONSTER!  And you guys thought I was done showing off Dan Vogelbach cards. Ha! 

But wait, there's more Vogelmojo!

 Boom!  The green parallel numbered 33/75.  What a beauty of a card!

And the last card in the package before we start the Pack Wars tomorrow:

 Well. I'm not really sure what to say here. Is somebody cutting onions?

This particular Torrens card is from the 2013 Bowman Chrome release. Vogelbach has a chrome card in the 2013 Bowman Draft & Prospects set, but there is no canary yellow parallel. Which, honestly, is a down right shame. P-town has always been nothing more than a stopping point for such Luis Torrens cards before they would get shipped out to the east coast. But, now I have a Luiiiiiiiiiissssssssssssssss card in my collection!  Whoa! 

Thanks for the Vogelmonsters and the Luuuuuuuuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssssssssss card, Kenny!  I can't wait to write up and post the Pack Wars. You always bring great stuff to my Cubs collection.

Happy New Year and thanks for reading!

Final Summary: Vogelbach on 2017 Cardboard

I hope you enjoyed the nineteen Vogelmonster posts over the last month. I sure had fun typing them up!

Here's a quick breakdown of where everything stands as of right now:
172 cards in all from 2017
3 Different Card Manufacturers: Topps (163), Panini (7), Choice (2)
19 different sets: Topps (16), Panini (2), Choice (1)
106 Serial Numbered cards (6 of which are 1/1)
64 Autographed cards (61 from Topps and 3 from Panini)

Seriously? 64 autographed Vogelbach cards in 2017?  Can you tell where the hobby is going? Yeesh.

My Vogelbach player collection now stands at 303 unique cards. I had no idea I just crossed over the 300 card milestone. Wow.

Here's a picture of my Dan Vogelbach box... or the "Vogelbox" as I'm starting to call it.

All of my most treasured Vogelmonster cards will reside in this box from now on. The two rows on the left and one-fourth of the row on the right are all cards of Vogelbach. (The others are my favorite autographs.) It looks really sweet all filled up and it's actually kind of heavy!

It's been quite a collecting year!

Going forward, I've decided to try and fill as many gaps from 2011 through 2017 as I can in my Vogelbach player collection, but I'm not going to actively pursue any of his 2018 cards. I can't put myself through another year of checking Ebay and other collecting sites every day. I'm not sure how other super collectors do it!

It's time to put my designated card funds back into my Cubs collection and maybe I'll spend more time on Hall of Fame binder as well. This should allow me to be a more active trader, too. Should be fun!

Thanks for reading and best of luck to you and your collecting goals in 2018!

Part 19: Vogelbach on 2017 Cardboard

I'm still hunting multiple websites for Dan Vogelbach cards which have eluded me during the 2017 baseball card collecting year, but the chase is finally starting to slow. I figure by the time I finish this series of posts we'll be counting down the days for 2018 Topps Series 1 to hit the shelves.

I'm going to go in chronological order from the first cards produced to the most recent. Each post will contain all of the Dan Vogelbach cards I've acquired from that set and I'll make a short mention of the ones I'm still on the look out for.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Round 19: 2017 Topps Archives Signature Series

This set was my favorite to chase on Ebay and part of the reason is because I had no idea what the checklist looked like. Topps released a list of players to be found in the product, but all the cards are buybacks and no information can be found on how many of which cards where included. As best as I can figure it's kind of like a potluck...  I'm just not really sure what Topps scrounged up to have Vogelbach sign.

Let's start off with the oldest cards first. Vogelbach had his first Topps produced cards in 2011 with Bowman draft. There are 99 of these black border cards on the left, but I've only seen three hit Ebay. There were four of the chrome version of this card produced and one of them is sitting on Ebay right now.

The one on the right is the gold paper parallel that I had signed by Vogelbach in person when he played for Kane County back in 2013. His autograph has become a little less detailed over the years and the V is not as easy to make out now.

 Vogelbach's 2013 Bowman base card is above on the left, which is also numbered to 99. The chrome version is numbered out of 58 and is on the right. Seems like a weird number to stop at. No?

Above is the Bowman chrome refractor from the same year. There's 33 of these out there.

Boom!  1-of-1 Vogelmojo right here!

This card is from the 2013 Bowman Platinum set. There's another 1-of-1 from this very same set on Ebay, and the best I can figure is the other one is a foil board parallel or something else along those lines.

2015 Bowman Chrome out of 50 on the left.

The one on the right is from the 2016 Cubs Convention where I actually had a brief little chat with The Vogelmonster for the first time. He's a swell dude.

Lots of Bowman product for Vogelbach in this set, so I made sure to pick up one of his few none Bowman cards produced by Topps.

There are eleven 2015 Topps Heritage Minors cards in the Archives Signature Series set. I was lucky enough to net this one at a fair price. The one on the right is another in person autograph.

I've managed to intercept seven cards in all, but six of them have double digit serial numbers. I don't think there are any other cards in this product with serial numbers greater than ten, but I've been wrong before.

The big question is, "How many one-of-ones are out there?"

2017 Topps Archives Signature Series Haves (7):

2017 Topps Archives Signature Series Needs (5+):
2011 Bowman Draft Chrome, #/4
2013 Bowman Platinum, 1/1
2013 Bowman Chrome (Mini) - Rising Through the Ranks, 1/1
2013 Topps Pro Debut, 1/1
2014 Topps Heritage Minors, 1/1

The list of "needs" are just cards I've seen on Ebay and haven't jumped on yet. Actually, as of this writing, they're all currently listed on the auction site. Four of them, combined, would cost me $280 if I used the Buy It Now option. Two of them have the Best Offer option and I've offered on one a couple of times, but the transaction couldn't be completed. One of them is a live auction and maybe I'll be able to win that one?

Again, time is my friend in this case. I'll be patient and maybe one will fall into a price range that I can justify. Besides, I think I'm the only who is a serious Dan Vogelbach super collector. So, there's no rush.

That's the last of the nineteen sets. A quick summary is all I have left and then it's onwards and upwards.

Thanks for reading along!

Part 18: Vogelbach on 2017 Cardboard

I'm still hunting multiple websites for Dan Vogelbach cards which have eluded me during the 2017 baseball card collecting year, but the chase is finally starting to slow. I figure by the time I finish this series of posts we'll be counting down the days for 2018 Topps Series 1 to hit the shelves.

I'm going to go in chronological order from the first cards produced to the most recent. Each post will contain all of the Dan Vogelbach cards I've acquired from that set and I'll make a short mention of the ones I'm still on the look out for.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Round 18: 2017 Panini Chronicles

Panini Chronicles looks like a really wild box rip. The set is comprised of many notable sets from Panini's past, such as Absolute, Spectra and Gold Standard. You can purchase a box for around $80, which includes four autographed cards and some lower numbered parallels.

During my first trip through the hobby I always favored the "Rated Rookie" cards. So naturally I was pretty stoked about adding a Vogelbach in this format to my collection. I guess I've always been a bit of a prospector at heart.

I purchased a three case break of Chronicles on Ebay and my gamble was rewarded with the pink parallel, numbered to 25, shown above.

I think Panini did am admirable job selecting a photo where the absence of logos isn't immediately noticed. The helmet is at an angle where the logo wouldn't be entirely visible and Vogelbach's right arm is blocking a sizable portion of where "Mariners" would be found on the chest.

I've been able to secure the gray bordered card and the much more aesthetically pleasing gold press proof. Very nice.

2017 Panini Chronicles Haves (4):

2017 Panini Chronicles Needs (7):
#237 - Panini Chronicles (Aqueous Test Proof), #/50 - acquired 1/6/18 via Ebay
#237 - Panini Chronicles (Artist Proof), #/10
#237 - Panini Chronicles (Press Proof), #/5
#237 - Panini Chronicles (Printing Plates), 1/1 (4 plates total)

Chronicles is one of the few sets where I still feel I have some work to do. I'm working hard on tracking down the Aqueous Test Proof and I'll snag it eventually, but the rest are very low numbered and many never see my collection. Only time will tell.

Only one more Vogelbach on 2017 Cardboard post to go!

Part 17: Vogelbach on 2017 Cardboard

I'm still hunting multiple websites for Dan Vogelbach cards which have eluded me during the 2017 baseball card collecting year, but the chase is finally starting to slow. I figure by the time I finish this series of posts we'll be counting down the days for 2018 Topps Series 1 to hit the shelves.

I'm going to go in chronological order from the first cards produced to the most recent. Each post will contain all of the Dan Vogelbach cards I've acquired from that set and I'll make a short mention of the ones I'm still on the look out for.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Round 17: 2017 Topps Five Star Baseball

Five Star is another high-end product. Topps loves their fancy cardboard, and this product is certainly that. The cards are uber-thick, the design is on point, and the signatures are all on card.

My favorite colored parallel from this set is one I don't have.  The blue looks really sharp on-line in the pictures I've seen. The foil on that one is gold, much like the green parallel below.

I thought about participating in a case break of this product, but after crunching the numbers I decided against it. Boxes run a little over one hundred dollars apiece and only contain two cards. Yes, you read that correctly. 2 cards for more than $100. Wow. A case contains eight boxes for a grand total of sixteen cards. The base set includes over eighty cards and then there are inserts to boot. The probability of pulling one Vogelbach card in a case break are not good... less than 20%. I'm a math teacher with a cardboard budget. Picking the singles off Ebay one at a time was the safe and fiscally responsible way to go.

2017  Topps Five Star  Haves (4):

2017 Topps Five Star Needs (3):
#FSA-DV - Topps Five Star (Blue), #/25 - acquired through Ebay on 1/4/18
#FSA-DV - Topps Five Star (Orange), #/5
#FSA-DV - Topps Five Star (Red), #/1

I'm still missing three and one of them I'm still fuming over a little bit. A blue parallel showed up on Ebay a couple weeks back and I put in what I thought was a last second bid only to be outdone by what I assume was a "bot." I've read there are Apps for your phone that will place a bid for you at the very last instant. My wife thinks I should get the App, but I kind of feel like that's cheating.  I content to be patient. Besides, there should be twenty-four more of the blue parallels out there.

Meanwhile, I'm contemplating what I should do about the red parallel. Here's the auction listing:

Should I put in a low ball best offer? I'm not a haggler and I don't really want to insult the seller... my gut tells me to just wait it out and see if the seller lowers the price a couple of times when relisting. I'm in no hurry, so I think I'll just wait it out. I don't need the 1-of-1, but it would be an awesome get for my Vogelmonster collection!

Two more sets to go!  Thanks for reading!

Part 16: Vogelbach on 2017 Cardboard

I'm still hunting multiple websites for Dan Vogelbach cards which have eluded me during the 2017 baseball card collecting year, but the chase is finally starting to slow. I figure by the time I finish this series of posts we'll be counting down the days for 2018 Topps Series 1 to hit the shelves.

I'm going to go in chronological order from the first cards produced to the most recent. Each post will contain all of the Dan Vogelbach cards I've acquired from that set and I'll make a short mention of the ones I'm still on the look out for.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Round 16: 2017 Topps Mini

Priced at $24.99, each factory-sealed pack of Topps Mini delivers 30 base cards, four base parallels, and one 1987 insert. I'm not sure why we need minis, but I guess some people go crazy over them. I, for the record, am not one of those people.

 The Minis could only be purchased through Topps website and I have no idea if they sold out or not. If the quantity found on Ebay is any indication, then I would say Topps still has pallets of cases of this stuff sitting in a warehouse somewhere. There are 800+ 2017 Vogelbach cards listed on Ebay at any given time, and right now there is only one base Mini card available. Which means I'm very glad I pounced on my six cards as early as I did.

2017 Topps Mini Haves (6):

2017 Topps Mini Needs (2):
#519 - Topps Mini (Gold), 1/1
#87-183 - Topps Mini 1987 Inster (Platinum), 1/1

Three more sets to go in the next three days and they're all more entertaining than Topps Mini. Should be fun!

Part 15: Vogelbach on 2017 Cardboard

I'm still hunting multiple websites for Dan Vogelbach cards which have eluded me during the 2017 baseball card collecting year, but the chase is finally starting to slow. I figure by the time I finish this series of posts we'll be counting down the days for 2018 Topps Series 1 to hit the shelves.

I'm going to go in chronological order from the first cards produced to the most recent. Each post will contain all of the Dan Vogelbach cards I've acquired from that set and I'll make a short mention of the ones I'm still on the look out for.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Round 15: 2017 Topps High Tek

Topps did a crazy thing this year with its High Tek product and actually increased the quantity of cards per box while not drastically raising the price. More specifically, the 2016 version of the High Tek product sold at $60 per box for eight cards (1 auto), whereas the 2017 edition contains forty cards (2 autos) for around $80. Not sure of all of the details circling this decision, but I've seen numerous positive comments about it on social media and the like. S

I thought this was going to be a true headache to track down all the different patterns, but actually it hasn't been too bad.  The cards are acetate and sharp looking as always. Pattern 1A is on the left and 2A is on the right.

 All the infielders and designated hitters have the "A" pattern, while all the catchers, outfielders and pitchers are featured on the "B" patterns. Pattern 3A is below to the left and 4A is below to the right.

 The photo selection is another positive here. I really like the Mariners' teal alternate jersey and I'm happy to see Vogelbach receive a card of him as a fielder.  Pattern 5A is below to the left and 6A is below to the right.

 I'm still trying to track down pattern 8A. From what I have read they are a case hit and numbered to /15.  I've seen two come and go on Ebay and I've been outbid both times.  Sigh.

 Pattern 7A is shown above.

The blackout cards are pretty neat. I think there are only two of them and I've got them both.

 Blackout 1A is above on the left and the back to 2A is on the right.

Hey, it's Christmas Eve, so why not some red and green parallels?

 From what I can tell all the parallels are versions of Pattern 1A.

My second serial numbered Christmas card is on the left, above. It's the orange magma diffractor, numbered 12/25. Woo-Hoo! 

 Yep, I picked up the 5" by 7" Tek cards from Ebay. The only downside to these is that they are not see through like the other acetate High Tek cards.

On to the autos!

 The base auto is above. The green and orange parallels are below.

Two more autos, blue and blackout.

Twenty-one cards in all and I have still have my sights set on pattern 8A. I'll add it to my collection eventually!

2017  Topps High Tek Haves (21):

2017 Topps High Tek Needs (4):
#HT-DV - Topps High Tek (Pattern 8A), #/15 - acquired through Ebay on 1/4/18

#HT-DV - Topps High Tek (Pattern 1A - Gold Galactic Diffractor), 1/1

#HT-DV - Topps High Tek (Pattern 1A - Red Orbit - Auto), #/10
#HT-DV - Topps High Tek (Pattern 1A - Gold Galactic Diffractor - Auto), 1/1

I'm missing many one-of-ones from the 2017 collecting year, but that's mostly because most of them have not shown themselves.

That's not the case for the above gold parallel auto. I was in on the bidding at one point, but there were three people with deeper pockets than myself who drove the price up to a point where I couldn't allow myself to bid any longer. So it goes.

I'm a day early here, but I don't have a post planned for Christmas Day. So, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Bumping the Bday

This holiday season has been more hectic than most. So, the family has decided to bump my birthday and my mother's to early January. Why early January?  Well, that's when my wife has her birthday. The three of us are only separated by 20 days on the calendar. We're going to have a 3-for-1 birthday bash celebration. (Actually, I'm sure it will be very low key.)

Honestly, I'm totally cool with it. Age is just a number and I've reached the point where "my big day" includes sleeping in, getting some exercise, spending time with family and/or friends, and enjoying a meal of my choosing. That's a 10 on my scale.

I delivered my handmade bat rack to my good friend, Jim, the other night and he gave me a nice gift of cardboard and paper in return. Jim is like my older brother... a great friend and he really knows my tastes.

Cardboard first!

Kid Nichols... a Hall of Famer!  1961 Fleer!  Actual vintage!

This one goes straight into my Hall of Fame binder. Whenever I can add actual vintage to my HOF binder I'm a very happy guy!

On to the paper:

I like Jeff Passan's work and according to the Boston Globe this is the best baseball book of the year. My wife and are traveling soon and I should make a good dent in this one before too long. I'm super excited to have a new baseball book to read!

Thanks for the Xmas/Bday gifts, Jim!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

My Secret Santa Gifted the Cats a Box

Oh, is there anything more comfortable than a cat in a box? I am tempted to say "no", but more on that in a moment.

I'd like to thank Matt, from Bob Walk The Plank, for organizing this second Secret Santa annual (?) swap. Heading up an endeavor like this takes time, some serious organization skills, and lots of e-mailing diligence. I know Matt and I traded e-mails a couple of times once he exchanged the names and I appreciate his patience. I was sincerely looking forward to the 2017 gift exchange, because finding something of interest for the other collector for under $10 is a fun challenge. And besides, 'tis better to give than receive. Am I right!?!

Now, I'm not one to shy away from the receiving end and my Secret Santa gift arrived this past weekend. The front of the card is shown above, but let's take a look at the goodness inside before the big reveal of who this generous soul is. 

Lots of noteworthy Cubs above, but the one I like the most is the 1983 Fleer Fergie Jenkins. Any day I can add a new Fergie to my player collection is a good day!

Here's a couple more from the team bag of cards Santa gifted me.

 Hector Villanueva was a favorite of mine, if for no other reason than listening to Harry Caray attempt to say his last name. Ed Lynch!  How many chins are on that card. Whoa!

I busted a bunch of Pacific's Baseball Legends a few years back. Many of the cards went into the player collection binders.

 Now I have some duplicates to place in my Cubs boxes and do other projects with.

 I apologize for the cropping of these cards. I'm trying out a new scanning app, which I think will speed things up for me if I can get it to do what I want. Man, I love Holtzman and Hooton's long sleeves. Under Armour is a far cry from the 1970's.

 The Hundley and Beckert cards are brand new to me!  Off to the player binders they will go!  Woo-Hoo!

I must admit I don't know much about Chuck Connors... and there's a reason for that. Check out the old bleachers and the ivy in the background. Pretty neat!

Here's what I'm most excited about. Three, count 'em, three re-packs of cartes de baseball!

 Yes, baseball cards with French flair. Bring. It. On!

There are only so many guys in our little cardboard world who reside north of the border, who have easy access to cartes de baseball.

You have your guess yet?

Here's the inside of the card:

Mike and I have not traded before. I've seen him in the comments before, but I never made an effort to look for his blog, which is entitled Not Another Baseball Card Blog.

Say what? He has want lists for the Blue Jays and Les Expos on his blog?  Magnifique! 

Mike, thank you for your thoughtfulness!  I love busting packs and these repacks will certainly give a boost to my trade box which has been decimated as of late.

Oh, and my cats want to express their gratitude as well!

Picture #1 - Trying to decided who will claim the box as their own!

 Picture #2 - Um... yeah... Hugo may need a bigger size.

 Picture #3 - Where there's a will, there's a way!

 Picture #4 - Hugo didn't stay long and Holiday jumped right in.

She stayed a good time, until she got bored of following invisible objects on the ceiling. She's so weird.

Thanks again, Mike.   Happy Holidays, everyone!