Busting a 2020 Topps Update Blaster

One of my favorite product releases of the year looks a little different this year. Update will deliver us rookie cards of some mid-season call-ups and other fun additions thanks to the expanded rosters and the postseason. This year, the checklist is definitely unspectacular due to the compromised season, so I wasn't sure that I'd be buying any Update this year.

On top of that, it’s impossible to find baseball cards in retail stores these days due to flippers. I don’t think Update is going to generate any massive resale margins for anyone… yet I’m sure there are hundreds of idiots out there giving it a go.

As I’ve said on this blog before: "Sports Card Twitter" can be a dodgy place. Although for every con, it has some pros, one of which being that it's a great to place to get “breaking news” on new products. There was a generous soul out there who pointed out that Walmart was selling 2020 Topps Update Blasters online. I must have seen it at the right time, because they were still in stock when I logged in. Walmart also offers free shipping so I was really happy with the deal. 

On to the cards:

What do you do when you’re desperate to fill a checklist? Make a million cards of the best player in the game, of course! Granted, these are “Active Leaders” cards, and Mike Trout is the active leader in a whole lot of things.

Due to the fact that there was no All-Star game this year, and in what appears to be another checklist-filling technique, Topps went back through some semi-recent All-Star games and honored some past All-Stars. I pulled the McCutchen in my first pack, I was delighted to see my man Cutch in a Pirates uniform. I’ll be honest, seeing him in any other jersey still looks odd to me. 

On the subject of the Pirates, these are my two Pirates pulls. Jarrod Dyson was horrible failed experiment replacement for Starling Marte. He hit maybe .150. He’s lightning fast and all that, and yes, it was fun to watch him track deep fly balls to the warning track. In September he was traded to the White Sox for international pool money, which the Pirates have already used to sign a teenage prospect. That’s actually a big win. 

Some more inserts.

As far as I can tell, these are Walmart blue parallels. They’re not serial numbered; I’m a little confused because they’re two different shades of blue.  It looks good – the Montgomery card has a royal Blue to match KC’s colors, and Arroyo’s card has the navy blue to match the Indians colors. They’re undoubtedly different than the base cards which have the plain grey in that side panel, but I'm not entirely sure what's happening here.

I ended up with seven Turkey Reds.

I pulled one rainbow parallel. I’m very lucky that it’s Bo Bichette’s Rookie Debut.  I’ve had a real knack for pulling Bo this year. This was my only pull that went straight into a sleeve and toploader.

Every blaster promises an exclusive player coin card:

A first-time Gold Glover! Joey Gallo is known primarily for hitting dingers. This year, the converted first baseman was the American League’s Gold Glove Winner in right field. He had 12 defensive runs saved, and he trailed only Nolan Arenado for the league lead. Pretty cool for a guy that’s known strictly for his power bat.

I’m not one for manufactured relics, memorabilia cards, commemorative coins, etc. This card is cheesy (and bulky) as heck. 

In what’s been a bizarre year, it felt good to rip a blaster of good ol’ Topps Update. Aside from the Bichette, all cards here are for trade. I also have 70+ base cards available. Feel free to drop a comment if you’re interested.

Thanks for stopping by!

June Mailday Roundup

It only took me a month, but I was able to get through the 7 Day Trading Card challenge. I had a lot of fun working through challenge and it reconnected me with some cards in my collection that I hadn't seen in a long time. I'll take a second to pat myself on the back, because I'm proud of myself for staying consistent and getting the posts up. Posting consistently has been tough for me since starting the blog, but I've been going strong with 5+ posts per month for almost a year.

Anyhow, we're back to the regularly scheduled programming which consists of lots of Pirates cards and a slight obsession hoarding Bryan Reynolds cards. 

(Top) Austin Meadows - 2018 Topps Chrome Update 

(Bottom) Austin Meadows - 2018 Topps Update

Despite the fact that Topps Update has only 100 cards in the base set, Austin Meadows managed to get himself two cards in the 2018 set. I guess it's a strong possibility when you get traded at the deadline. Both cards above came my via trade on TCDB.

I'm really excited to add the Rookie Debut card to my collection because I was at PNC Park   for Meadow's debut on 5/18/18. It was a pleasant Friday night with an early-summer feel. It was a nice debut for Meadows as he went 2-4. His first ever hit was a single to right field in his second AB, and then he quickly stole second, bring the crowd to a standing applause.

Bryan Reynolds - 2019 Topps Update Gold Parallel #/2019

I've chased every parallel of the card above in the chrome version, but this is my first pick up of a "paper" version parallel. It runs about $10-$12 on eBay, which is a small ripoff but I really wanted it for my PC.

Bryan Reynolds - 2016 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects Chrome Gold Refractor #/10 PSA 10

I already own a copy of this card. This surfaced on eBay recently for about the same price as a raw copy so I decided to grab it. Nothing wrong with a PSA 10!

Bryan Reynolds - 2019 Topps Chrome Update Gold Auto #/50 PSA 10

I significantly overpaid for this card, but what the heck. There's only 50 copies of it and many of them probably still live in packs. Not only that - how many of them will show up as PSA 10's? I'll never know, but I didn't want to risk this slipping by. It's a welcome addition to the Pirates Gold Room and my rapidly-growing Bryan Reynolds PC. 

Thanks for stopping by!

So Close You Can Almost Taste It

Since the release of 2019 Topps Chrome Update, I've been chipping away at my first ever rainbow - that of Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds. I'm not sure what exactly constitutes a rainbow in the sports card collector dictionary but I'm making my own rules. I'm not looking for any printing plates (all that grey would sure dim a rainbow), and sadly I think I can write off the superfractor. It was pulled right around the product launch and immediately sold on eBay for a hefty sum. It hasn't resurfaced since so I'll infer that it has found a happy home with a big time Pirates collector. 

Yesterday in the mail I received the orange parallel (#/25). It came my way via eBay, and I believe this was the first time I've made a purchase on eBay in this fashion: The card was listed beginning at .99 for a standard 7 day auction. Interestingly, the seller had the "Make an offer" option enabled, so I went ahead and did just that - despite knowing that I would probably get the card for a lot less if I just waited out the auction. This was a risk I was willing to take. I've been looking for this card for all of 2020 and then some. This is the first time one has surfaced in over 6 months. I made a fair offer - right around what others had sold for - and it was accepted. I probably overpaid and I've never been more at peace with it!

With the addition of the orange parallel I am now just one card away from completing my rainbow. The final one is the red parallel which is numbered to just five copies.

And boy, is it elusive. I haven't seen any on eBay, ever. There also haven't been any postings on COMC and no activity on TCDB aside from it showing up on a few Wantlists. I fear that these five cards may very well be sitting inside packs inside of unopened boxes in a warehouse somewhere. And since this a retial-only product that could create even more complications. We can only hope that one of these "Breakers" out there does a massive, 100 box break and one of them makes their way to the resale market.

Weekly Additions to the Pirates Gold Room

The quest for gold bordered Pirates cards continues. This week features another pair of 2019 rookies who will play a large role in the success of the team moving forward.

Bryan Reynolds - 2016 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Chrome Gold Refractor #/50

Bryan Reynolds - 2019 Topps Update Gold Refractor Autograph #/50

With regards to the card on top, I'm bending the rules a bit for the Pirates Gold Room. The idea of collecting gold parallels was to "match" the gold border with the gold colors the you'll find on all Pirates jerseys. Reynolds was still with the Giants for his coveted 1st Bowman card - and orange sure as heck doesn't match with gold. Thankfully his almost-all-black jersey is pretty close to the Pirates colors. I'll let it slide.

I've learned something about myself as a collector: I don't mind collecting cards that picture my favorite player on their former teams. Ideally all of my Pirates cards would have the guys in Pittsburgh jerseys, but if they came via trade, I'm perfectly fine with them donning another team's threads. Even the Yankees... *eye roll*

How about you - will you collect your favorite players wearing their former team's colors? Or do you want your PC cards to only display your teams' logo?

Both of the cards above came to my attention through one of my eBay saved searches, which is about as broad as they get: "Bryan Reynolds Gold." I'm a huge fan of the saved search option on eBay.

The listing was for three cards total - it included both of the Reynolds cards above - but it had two copies of the 2016 BDPP Chrome! It was a Buy It Now, and the price seemed a little low to me. The price would have been fair if it were for just these two cards, so the extra copy of the 2016 BDPP seemed like a real bonus. I jumped on it just hours after it was listed. It might have flown a little under-the-radar since the cards were in a "lot." I've read that eBay sellers that are looking to maximize profit should avoid selling in lots since high-value cards in the group can get watered down by the rest of the cards. I'm thinking I may have been on the right of the the deal!

  

Cole Tucker - 2014 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Chrome Gold Refractor #/50

Gold refractor, or mustard yellow refractor? 

It seems that some time between 2014 and 2016, Topps changed their definition of gold. The two Reynolds cards seem to shine and pop a little brighter than gold refractors back in 2014. Not complaining, this card is still a beauty and looks better in-hand than on the scanner.

I wrote a bit about Cole Tucker in my previous post when Gavin hooked me up with my first Tucker auto - he's a first round draft pick and should be the Pirates shortstop of the future. It's kind of crazy to think that this card is already six years old, and Tucker is only 23 years old and made his MLB debut last year. When this card was printed, Tucker had just turned 18 and just graduated high school. I can't imagine being printed on baseball cards a few months after I graduated high school. On the other hand, it's also hard to fathom grown men paying lots of money for those cards, and yet here we are!

Thanks for reading.

Additions to the Pirates Gold Room

I often struggle to understand my identity as a collector. Wether its on the blogs or on Twitter, I feel like I often come across collectors who are very specific and intentional with their collections. 

Sure, I collect the Pirates. Yes, there are certain players that I prefer over others. Yes, there are cards I stay away from and cards that I'm drawn towards.

At the end of the day, I'm not too specific. I don't have a favorite player. I rarely build sets. 

However! If there's one thing that I love above all else, it's Pirates gold refractors. I've been making a point to acquire gold refractors as often as possible. Typically, Topps gold refractors are serial numbered /50. That's a good sweet spot for me. Only 50 copies makes it decently rare - but not impossible to find. Prices can get steep, but I haven't seen anything too outrageous.

Here are some of my recent pickups:

2019 Bowman's Best Mitch Keller Rookie - Gold Refractor #49/50

2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Ke'Bryan Hayes - Gold Shimmer Refractor #40/50

2017 Bowman Chrome Tyler Glasnow Rookie - Gold Refractor #46/50

2019 Topps Update Bryan Reynolds - Gold Refractor #/50. This is the latest addition to my  Bryan Reynolds rainbow. I'm only missing Orange #/25 and Red #/5.

I've really enjoyed chasing after these. I feel like it's given me some purpose when it comes to "what to chase," and as we know, the chase is half of the fun. 

Busting three Mega Boxes of 2019 Topps Chrome Update

I have been itching to get my hands on some of these boxes ever since they began to emerge a few weeks ago. Topps Chrome Update is a retail exclusive to Target - which theoretically would be great for me. There's a Target about a mile from my home and it's on the way to and from work. They do a great job of stocking cards there as well, so I felt like my chances would be decent. I stopped in often but it was to no avail. 

I started to lose hope. How many times can I stop in a Target for baseball cards? In addition to stopping in to the store, I also stayed tuned to the Target App. I finally got lucky and some boxes popped up late last week. Not only that, they were on sale for $17.99 each. Being a RedCard member gives me free 2-day shipping. I wasn't planning on grabbing more than a box or two, but the killer price inspired me. I pulled the trigger on three, totaling $55 delivered to my door.

I'm not going to go pack-by-pack here. Just the highlights. I only hit one Pirate - #87 Josh Bell ASG. I was really hoping to hit #29 Bryan Reynolds. I'd love to trade for it if anyone has one.

I was fortunate and hit on most of the top rookies. #38 Keston Hiura, #22 Carter Kieboom, #86 Pete Alonso ASG, and #54 Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Debut.

More rookies, #42 Cavan Bigio, Vlad Guerrero Jr. Family Business Insert, and #62 Keson Hiura.

Now, on to the "hits," if you will.

On the left is a Griffin Canning x-fractor, #/199. x-fractors fall 1:93 packs, so I beat the odds here and was fortunate to pull this. On the right is Lane Thomas refractor #/250. Refractors fall 1:74 packs so I beat the odds here too. Interestingly, you have the best odds on hitting an autograph, which fall 1:40 packs, which are awesome odds for retail. 

I also this pulled beauty. Walker Buehler x-fractor #/199. I really love this card. Buehler is a super likable guy and already one of the best pitchers in the game. Add in the ASG graphic and the All-Star Rookie graphic - icing on the cake!

Overall, this was tons of fun. I'm big on Update and I'm a chrome guy so this is one my favorite releases of the year. I really love that refractors and x-fractors are serial numbered. I'd rather pull one of these for a decent player than a no-name auto. Lots of great stuff to stash away to re-visit in a few years.

2019 Topps Update: Ripping (4) Hobby Packs

This weekend I was able to slip away to the LCS and suppress my burning desire to grab some Update. They had some hobby packs in stock for $4/pack, so I was happy to walk away with four packs. 

It poses an interesting question: Would you rather buy a blaster, or five hobby packs for the same price?

There's no right answer. I'll typically go the Hobby pack route for a chance at an auto. I also prefer to support local business when possible. 

Here's what I needed up with:

Pack One

Alberto Hanser #30
Lane Thomas RC #227
Alex Colome #76
Braden Bishop RC #125
Miguel Castro #163
Adam Ottavino #236
Ken Griffey Jr. "Est. 1869" Reds Insert #EST-13

A.J. Pollock #70
Brad Boxberger #191
Zack Britton #214
J.T. Realmuto ASG #58
J.D. Hammer RD #27
J.D. Martinez #134
Joe Biagini #292

Pack Two

Cal Quantrill #23
Mike Zunino #239
Cole Tucker RC #197

Adam Jones #242
Walker Buehler ASG/All-Star Rookie #8
Kyle Bird RC #80
Michael Brantley 35th Anniversary #84-46

Wilmer Flores #203
Pedro Avila RC #115
Jose Abreau ASG #160
Matt Chapman #157
Ty France #129
Tommy Kahnle #161
Luis Alvarez RC #247

Pack Three

Nathan Evoldi #282
Michael Chavis RC #170
Marwin Gonzalez # 110
Skye Bolt RC #211
Sergio Romo #164
Kevin Plawecki #225
Hunter Pence #86
Carter Kieboom 35th Anniversary RC #84-14

Gary Sanchez ASG #4
Melky Cabrera #21
Curtis Granderson #187
Carter Kieboom RC #109
Yasiel Puig #106
Josh Donaldson #257

Pack Four

Mitch Keller RC #218

Junior Guerra #64
Tommy Edman RC #84
Avisail Garcia #188
Matt Wotherspoon/Braden Kline Rookie Combos #264
Hyun-Jin Ryu #297
Soaring in the Six #241
Sandy Koufax "Inconic Card Reprints" Insert #ICR-13

Jake Odorizzi #36
Mike Moustakas ASG #49
Mike Trout ASG #146
Xander Bogaerts ASG #144
James McCann ASG #15
Chris Paddack RC #207

Recap:

Two Pirates rookies! Considering I only purchased four packs, I'll certainly take that. I'm still hunting for Bryan Reynolds. There were some other good rookies in here, with Tommy Edman, Chris Paddock, and Carter Keiboom (2x) showing up. I also gave myself a shot a an autograph, which always adds a layer of fun. 

Aside from the Pirates, everything here is available for trade.

Curious to hear from others: Did you rip any Update yet? Do you have any desire to? 

"Released to a Join a Contender"

Life as a Pirates fan in September. The games are meaningless, the rosters expand and we're told we'll get a glimpse into the future.

This year we also get to reflect on the past, as one of the clubhouse leaders decided to move on from the NL-Central-bottom-dwelling Buccos. About two weeks ago, the Pirates released Francisco Cervelli so he could join a contender. His request. As a fan, you never want to hear those words.

Hell, I don't blame the guy. Why stick around for 25 more meaningless games, if you don't have to? I'm not saying he's a quitter. He's not. By all accounts Cervelli poured his heart and soul into his job. On the day of his release essentially every Pirates starting pitcher posted a thank you to Cervelli for helping them grow as pitchers. 

After seven concussions it's a miracle he's still playing. He's 33, and in an 11 year career he's only had about 2200 ABs. A healthy everyday player would get that in four seasons.

I've casually tried to collect some of his cards and I'll be the first to tell you that there's just not that much out there. There are bunch of dual autos of him and Buster Posey in 2009 Bowman Sterling -- with those heinous silver stickers -- and for the price, that's just not for me. Of the Cervelli cards that are out there, most of them are Yankees. My personal favorite of my collection is the black parallel from 2010 Topps Update.

I promise that someday soon I'll get a decent scanner. The good ol' point-and-shoot with my iPhone just really isn't cutting it when it comes to cards. Seriously, the pictures are pitiful. I know.

You'd never know unless and I told you: You're going to have to zoom like crazy to confirm this, but this card is serial numbered to 59. Bottom left corner on the back of the card, celebrating 59 years of Topps.

Best of luck to Francisco in Atlanta.

Topps Comes Through With Yet Another Redemption

You read that right! Topps was gracious enough to fulfill another one of my redemptions, and pretty quickly too.

I've actually had great success with Topps redemptions. I've heard all of the nightmare stories of course, and I'm incredibly thankful that I haven't encountered any issues. I've only redeemed three codes, but so far I'm 3 for 3, and none of them have taken more than 3-4 months:

 Hopefully you're aware of this by now, I'm laboring to complete a 2013 Topps Chrome Blue Parallel Set. It's been a hell of a project, loaded with challenges... most of which pertain to my wallet.

I've decided to take out the big guns first- which now that I think about- is probably pretty stupid for cost reasons. I've knocked off some of the more significant rookies, which of course are the most costly. I've got Puig, Machado, Myers, Ryu, and Arenado so far.

Fitting into that class of star rookies is Jose Fernandez. While combing over eBay, I found an interesting auction. It was for the card I needed, but with it a redemption for Fernandez's 2013 Chrome base auto. It was OBO, so I threw out what I felt was reasonable offer. It was accepted. I pondered selling the redemption card, but after seeing on the Topps Redemption Update Blog that Jose had just signed his 2013 Chrome cards, I decided to redeem it.

*** Note --- If you haven't checked out the Topps Redemption blog, I'd highly recommend bookmarking it. It's Topps' attempt at improving customer service for redemptions, and I must say I've found it useful on several occasions. ***

Here's the card:

Cool, right?! I really like the sig. Simple, but not so simple that it sucks. For example:

Seriosuly, Wil?! Really?

Thanks for reading!

PC Additions

Today's post will be a quick one, highlighting three cards that I'm excited to add to my personal collections:

This card is from 2013 Update, one of the retail only chrome refractors. Back in November, I posted about how much I love black Pirates parallels. Frankie didn't have a card in the 2013 Chrome set, so it's great to be able to add this chrome parallel, #'ed out of 99.  I'm still looking for the same card of Pedro Alvarez. The only one on eBay is a bit too pricey.

This beauty was sent to me by the wonderful Judson Meeks over at My Cardboard Habit. Judson has been sending me some awesome Pirates cards for a few months now, and gets more generous by the day. This card is also from Chrome Update, retail only. The gold border looks great, and so does the /250 stamp on the flipside.

 Thanks, Judson!

My final addition is terribly random. I'm not necessarily a superfan of Drew Brees, and I don't have a Drew Brees PC. But several Sundays ago, I was watching Brees shred Carolina's defense for over 300 yds and 4 TD's. As the broadcasters were raving about the future hall-of-famer, I thought, "It would be great to own a tangible piece of this guy's career." So I did what any compulsive collector would do... hopped on eBay and grabbed a jersey card! It's numbered to 249, so it carries a bit of rarity which I always appreciate. Less than $5 shipped- can't beat!

I recently created a Twitter account to coincide this blog, as well as my collecting in general. Give me a follow - @big44cards

Thanks for reading!