2012 Topps Museum Collection - First Look

First, and probably, only, look. This is a new super-premium set issued by Topps this year. I never buy much from a set like this. For one thing, they don't sell blasters of sets Like Topps Museum Collection down at the local Enormous Mart. For another thing, the price. A box of this is going to set you back a minimum of $200 on eBay, most likely closer to $225. There are 4 packs per box, 5 cards per pack. At $200/box, that 1$10 a card!. OK, you get 4 hits per box. But you know as well as I that there are hits and there are hits.

For sets like this I generally troll eBay looking for Phillies cards. I can usually find enough at a price I'm willing to pay without too much trouble.

The base cards a certainly attractive. They are printed on heavy white card stock and have a nice fell to them. I wouldn't say that the design is very original in appearance. Upper Deck A Piece of History, anyone (but this is much nicer)? I picked up Halladay and Cliff Lee from the same seller for a total of $3.83 including postage.

This gives me a righty-lefty set.

Then there is this card.

There are 4 variations to the base set, Blue, Copper, Red and Green. This us the Blue Variation, numbered17/99, for $5.00.  All I need is to get some variation on the Hunter Pence and Cole Hamels cards and I'll have all the Phillies from the base/base variation set.

I also went for one relic card.

 This card is a Topps Museum Collection Primary Pieces Single-Player Quad Relics. Try holding your breath while you read off the name. I nabbed this for $10.45 including postage. A fair deal I thought. There are at least 2, and maybe 3 separate bits of cloth on the card. The upper left is clearly a different weave. I think the upper left is separate as well. Not sure about the bottom two pieces.  Do you notice something odd about the text in the "Quad Qualities" box. The 2 quality is written with a smaller type font and the spacing between the lines isn't consistent. It's like it was typed up in Microsoft Word by someone with a poor understanding of the format controls.

Song of the Week - Urban Spaceman by Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band

I don't know why I'm surprised by anything I find on the internet but I was surprised to find this.



Way back in 1971, when I was in seminary school, no, I mean when I was at Drexel University, I had a co-op job for 6 months in a chemical plant (I was studying to be a chemical engineer). There was another Drexel student there with me. We were pretty much out of place, two long-haired hippie kids in a hard-had environment. The other guy stenciled "Urban Spaceman" on his hard-hat and I put "Space Cowboy" on mine.

You doesn't hasta call me Johnson! (Part 1)

I was scanning a card of Wallace Johnson the other day and I got to wondering (as I do) how many cards I have for players named Johnson. It turns out a lot.

That reminded me of this comedy routine: "My name is Raymond J. Johnson, Jr. Now you can call me Ray, or you can call me J, or you can call me Johnny, or you can call me Sonny, or you can call me Junie, or you can call me Junior; now you can call me Ray J, or you can call me RJ, or you can call me RJJ, or you can call me RJJ Jr., but you doesn't hasta call me Johnson!" The comedian was Bob Saluga.

So, in my never ending quest to find some excuse to post baseball cards on line here are a bunch of guys named Johnson.


2001 Donruss Baseball's Best Silver Rookies #72 Adam Johnson

Some of these guys you will never have heard of.

1966 Topps #104 Alex Johnson

One of a legion of Phorgotten Phillies.

2000 Topps Traded Autograph #35 Ben Johnson

When I pulled this from a hobby box of Topps Traded in 2000, Beckett had placed a value of $25 on the card. Ben went on to have basically no career so no big payoff here.


2010 Topps USA Baseball #31 Brian Johnson

This set was available as a boxed set which I paid $10 in Target. They still have boxes of this on the shelf.

1998 Donruss Collections Preferred #601 Charles Johnson

Charles won the World Series with the 1997 Marlins. Played 12 years for a number of teams. He's also Fred McGriff's cousin.


2009 Bowman Prospects Gold #48 Chris Johnson

Currently the Astro's starting 3rd baseman.

2007 Upper Deck First Edition #128 Dan Johnson

He's played for the A's and the Rays (you can call me Ray) but is currently in the White Sox minor league system.

1978 Topps #317 Davey Johnson

Before he became a manager he was a sad-sacked looking infielder for the Phillies in 1978.

1970 Topps #125 Deron Johnson

The Phillies had there share of Johnsons. Deron was a popular player with the Phillies in the 1960s and 1970s.


2011 Topps Update #217 Elliot Johnson

Elliot is the guy with the glove.

Stay tuned...

Random Cards from My Collection #25

Card #18752
1999 Topps Opening Day #71 Bret Saberhagen

The first few years of Topps Opening Day had big silver foil logos instead of the wimpy logos they have today.

Card #11190
2006 Topps WalMart #23 Bobby Abreu

These retro-themed cards were available 3-per-box in Walmart blasters in 2006.

Card #4297
1997 Score Titantic Taters #9 Todd Hundley

This 18-card set was inserted 1:35 packs of Series 1 Score. I didn't buy much 1997 Score because I didn't like it much, but I managed to pull one of these.

Card #22628
2003 Topps 205 #42 Nick Johnson

After any year of Allen & Ginter and 2004 Topps Cracker Jack, this is my favorite retro set of the 2000s. I have a box of Series 2 which I haven't cataloged yet so expects some posts on it soon.

Card #27793
2011 Topps #566 Jordan Zimmermann

Not Zimmerman, but Zimmermann.

Card 27823
2011 Topps #593 Francisco Cordero

Card #316952011 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Memorabilia Peter Tago

The Rockies #1 draft pick in 2010, he was 3-5 in Single A ball last year. I picked this up for $2.10 on eBay last February.

Card #6865
2004 Topps Shoebox #8 Robin Roberts

This was a nice set, only available as a boxed set. The packs came in a shoebox, complete with tissue paper.

Card #6630
2004 Just Rookies #52 Scott Mitchinson

A nice Australian boy who pitched 5 years in the minors but never made it to the bigs.

Card #8553
2007 Bowman Heritage Rainbow Foil #223 Chase Wright

Wright was the Yankees #3 pick in 2001. Except for 3 games in 2007 (where he won 2), Wright has had an 11 year career in the minors.

Random Cards From My Collection #23

Card #26336
2010 Topps Chrome X-Fractors #121 Roy Oswalt

Former Astro and former Phillie. The Phillies released him last October and he appears not to have signed with anyone. Apparently he doesn't want to sign with anyone until after his kids are out of school in June.

Card #19518
1985 Donruss #448 Rick Schu

Startled or angry, you decide.

Card #25025
2010 Bowman Draft Prospects #101 Timmy Lopes

No information on baseball-reference.com. I'm guessing he's still in high school or a freshman in college.

Card #16910
1989 Topps #730 Danny Jackson

Danny Jackson, looking reflective, rather than crazy as he does on many later cards.

Card #29112
2009 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions #128 Bill Rodgers

Marathon runner.

Card #17558
1997 Score #95 Alex Rodriguez

He was just a kid then.

Card #17229
2008 Topps #536 Albert Pujols

Assuming this isn't photoshopped (and with Topps you can never be sure), Prince Fielder is about to lower the boom on Albert.

Card #27047
2011 Topps Gypsy Queen #254 Brandon Phillips

2012 Gypsy Queen is supposed to be released next week.

Card #27990
2011 Topps #592 Dayan Viciedo

Topps, your home for players you never heard of.

Card #2608
1996 Fleer #281 Paul Quantrill

Fleer experimented with a lot of different formats in the mid-1990s. This set was printed on white card stock with no gloss but with gold foil. Quantrill had been traded to the Blue Jays in December 1995 which is why this card says he's with the Blue Jays although he looks like a Phillie.