Thursday Night at the Movies - The International

If you thought banks were up to no good with sub-prime mortgages, wait until you see this movie. Clive Owen plays an Interpol agent who is on the trail of The International Bank of Business and Credit. He is convinced that the IBBC is involved in an big way in illegal international arms selling. More than convinced, he's apparently obsessed with the idea. I recommend the movie. It is an international thriller in almost an old fashioned sense. There is suspense built up by actual story telling. There are a few action pieces (including a spectacular gunfight which was probably the most unbelievable thing in the movie) but on the whole, the movie presents a story of an idealistic man trying to keep his morals intact while battling a completely amoral foe without superhero antics or exploding automobiles. Among the new trailers we saw was one for Crank 2: High Voltage. Until I just looked it up, I didn't remember Crank. I'm sorry I remember. In Crank, Jason Statham played an assassin who has been injected with rat poison (I guess by an enemy) and has to keep is heart rate up or he'll die, while trying to find an antidote. In the squeal, he falls from a helicopter onto a parked car. He wakes up in a hospital to find that they've put in an artificial heart into him. Now, he has to get a jolt of electricity every hour to recharge the heart's battery, while he searches for his real heart. If that makes no sense, well, the trailer didn't make any sense.

2007 Ultimate Collection Group Break

When Dan at the Saints of the Cheap Seats blog asked me to participate in a group break on his blog, I wasn't sure if I wanted to. But for only $20 and the chance to get some product marketed to people way above my pay grade, I jumped in. The break was of a case of 2007 Ultimate Collection. $20 got you your choice of teams. Since the Phillies were already taken, I took the Astros. I only ended up with 2 cards but I am well pleased.

First off is this Ultimate Collection Ultimate Write of Passage autograph card of Hunter Pence. Pence is a pretty exciting player and 2007 was his rookie year. It's a sticker auto but I love it anyway. Beckett lists this card at $60. I looked at similar high end autographed cards of Pence on eBay and you might get $60 for this card.This is the second card I got.
A Ultimate Collection Ultimate Ensemble Triple Patches featuring Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan and Don Sutton. If you've got nothing better to do you can see the first part of the video break here. This was the last card pulled in the video. Since there are 3 teams represented on this card, Dan did some random selection process which awarded the card to me. The card is numbered 15/15. Beckett doesn't list these. I couldn't find anything comparable on eBay. Whatever it's worth, between this and the Pence card I got my $20 worth.

Today was a fabulous mail day. In addition to this I received my prize from Patricia and Lucy for a contest they ran a few weeks ago. Also, a big package of Phillies from Max and another big package of Phillies from Phil. I've made some trades with these guys and they've overwhelmed me with their generosity. I've got enough material for several new posts.

2004 Topps Cracker Jack Box Break Part 2

There were 7 packs in the first stack in the box. First a little background on the cards. Topps tried to recreat the look and feel of the original set in a number of ways. First the cards have a distressed look. The borders are an off-white and looked aged. The backs are somewhat yellowed, and show signs of staining. Just like they might if you'd had them in a shoe box in a damp basement since 1914. According to the Olberman write up, the original set was inconsistent in numbering. Some of the cards issued in 1915 featured the same players as the 1914 set but updated. But the cards had the same numbers. Some cards share a number with different players. And one card didn't have a number (but should have been #17). The Alex Rodriguez card in this set is unnumbered. So lets see what we've got. There are 251 cards in the set but the cards are only numbered to 237 due to the number of card numbers which are repeated. The cards I didn't already have will be in bold.


Pack 1 - each pack starts with a mini card parallel. There are red parallels (one per pack), blue (1 in 10 packs) and white (only one of each card).
#36 Red Mini Jeremy Bonderman - Except for size, there is no difference between the red minis and the base cards. I showed the back so you can see the ageing. Also, this card has the full player name on the front. Most cards only have the player's first name.

#109 Austin Kearns Reds
#119 Fernando Vina Tigers
#5 Bobby Abreu Phillies
#133 Branch Rickey - according to Olberman, there are some cards which are replicas of cards from the original set. He doesn't mention this one but my Classic Baseball Cards book shows it as part of the set.
#110 Carlos Beltran Royals
#47 Trot Nixon Red Sox
$141 Omar Vizquel, Indians
Secret Surprise
Sticker #51 - Ichiro Mariners
Checklist #1

Pack 2

Red Mini #51 Johnny Damon Red Sox
# 34 Ramon Hernandez Padres
#150 Sean Borroughs Padres
#65 Miguel Tejada Orioles
# 97 Adam Dunn Reds
# 139 Jarrod Washburn Angels
#29 Jay Gibbons Orioles
#189 Vistor Martinez Indians
Secret Surprise
Sticker #199 Estee Harris Yankees
Checklist #2

Pack 3

Mini Red # 79 Paul Konerko White Sox
#211 Blake Hawksworth Cardinals
#168 Michael Young Rangers
#213 Shawn Hill Expos
#208 Josh Labandeira Expos
#202 Craif Ansman Diamondbacks
#190 Rene Reyes Rockies
#185 Grady Sizemore Indians
Surprise
Checklist #1

Sticker #185 Rafael Palmeiro - The stickers are a bit different on the back. They are the same size as the mini cards and parallel the bas set.

Pack 4
Blue Mini #199 Estee Harris, Yankees, Topps First Card
The first blue mini. This is also a Rookie card, noted by "Toops First Card" on the left side. Harris is still in the minor leagues (now with the White Sox) with a career minor league batting average of .228. I'm not holding my breath that this card is ever going to be worth anything.
#113 Hideo Nomo, Dodgers
#33 Brad Radke, Twins
#72 Cristian Guzman, Twins
#221 Luis Castillo, Marlins
#55 Richard Hobitzel, Reds

This is another original replica. There are two versions, one as a Red and one as a Red Sox. Note the same picture on both cards. For some reason Beckett.com lists one of these as an error card. Hobitzel started his career with the Reds but was sold to the Red Sox in 1914. The text on the back of the second card adds that fact. I already had two #55 but didn't realize until I went back to them that the two I had were different from each other.
#130 Tim Hudson, A’s
#24 Cliff Floyd, Mets
Surprise
Sticker #32 Jose Lima, Dodgers
Checklist #2

Pack 5
Mini Red #53 Torri Hunter, Twins
#157 Jose Cruz Jr., Devil Rays
#205 Rodney Choy Foo, Indians
#105 Pat Burrell, Phillies
#235 Mariano Rivera, Yankees
#23 Charlie Comiskey, White Sox

Another replica card.
#149 Carlos Delgado, Mets
#174 Aaron Guiel, Royals
Surprise
Sticker #21 Paul Lo Duca, Dodgers
Checklist #2

Pack 6
Mini Red #97 Adam Dunn, Reds
#140 Curt Schilling, Diamondbacks
#159 Edgar Martinez, Mariners
#106 Steve Finley, Diamondbacks
#118 Darrin Erstad, Angels
#4 Garret Anderson, Angels
#89 Catalanotto, Blue Jays
#7 Jeff Kent, Astros

Finally, an Astro or Phillie I didn't already have. Also, this card is different in that it is a portrait shot with no grass showing. The original cards had a mixture of action shots and portrait shots.
Surprise
Sticker #123 Matt Morris, Cardinals
1-2-3 Strikes You’re Out Game Worn Jersey Hideo Nomo


A hit. This replaced the checklist card. I not only didn't have this card, I didn't any of this type of relic card from the set. It is the same size as the mini cards.

Pack #7
Mini Red #98 Carl Crawford, Devil Rays
#197 Laynce Nix, Rangers
#101 Luis Matos, Orioles
#148 Mark Buehrle, White Sox
#171 Jody Gerut, Indians
#66 Nap Lajoie, Philadelphia A’s, reverse back

Another replica card with a duplicate number. The other Lajoie card I had shows him in an Indians uniform. It is the same picture as this card but it says Indians across his chest. Lajoie came to the A's in 1915, and this version of the card reflects that on the back.
#219 Jeff Conine, Marlins, reverse back
#128 Rich Aurilia, Mariners, reverse back
Surprise
Sticker #136 Hinske, Blue Jays

That was fun. I'll post the next stack of 6 packs next week.

2004 Topps Cracker Jack Box Break Part 1

Way back in 2004, I bought a box of Topps Cracker Jack. I really like these cards. I picked up a few later from my local card shop (when I had a local card shop) but hadn't given much thought to completing the set, since I'm not primarily a set collector. But I've put up a list of the base cards I need and have gotten a few from other bloggers in the mail. A couple of weeks ago I decided to buy another box on eBay. Here are the results.

First the packaging. The box is designed to look like an old time box of Cracker Jack (I suppose, never having seen one).

Notice the nutrition label on the bottom. Not much nutrition in a bag of Cracker Jack.
When you first open the box you get this love letter from Keith Olbermann. Back then, I didn't know that he was the king of baseball card collectors and I just thought he was here because of his general sports announcing background. In very fine print, Keith gives us the history of the original issue of these cards in 1914 and 1915. There were 144 cards issued in 1914 and a sort of update set issued in 1915 of 32 cards. The 1915 cards came with an album which allowed you to attach the cards by their tops and lift up the bottom to look at the back. These cards are printed with the backs reversed. This is why some of the cards in the 2004 set have reversed backs.
Once you remove Keith, you see this.
The Cracker Jack bag is in a sort of tray that lifts out. The expiration date on the bag is Dec. 7, 2004. I opened the bag to get out the secret surprise and was treated to an unpleasant odor of old popcorn. In case it's been awhile since you've had a Cracker Jack, the kid is named Sailor Jack and the dog is bingo.
On the back of the bag is 1 Ploid. You could go to www.ePloid.com to redeem them for, I'm sure, fabulous stuff. Don't bother checking, the site is no more.
The packs are in three stacks or 7, 6, and 7. The packs are a bit longer than the actual cards are.
Inside of each pack was a secret surprise pack. Mostly what you get is a mini sticker card and a checklist. Since there are only 2 checklists, I got a bunch of them.
Inside the Cracker Jack bag there is also a secret surprise package.

It wasn't too exciting. I think the joke was probably old even in 1914.

Tomorrow I'll cover the first stack of 7 packs.

Song of the Week - Girls in Their Summer Clothes by Bruce Springsteen

From Bruce's 2007 album, Magic. And also the 2009 Grammy winner for Best Rock Song of the Year.



Well, the streetlights shine down on Blessing Avenue
Lovers they walk by, holding hands two by two
A breeze crosses the porch, bicycle spokes spin 'round
My jackets on, I'm out the door
And tonight I'm gonna burn this town down

The girls in their summer clothes
In the cool of the evening light
The girls in their summer clothes, pass me by

A kids rubber ball smacks
Off the gutter 'neath the lamp light
Big bank clock chimes
Off go the sleepy front porch lights
Downtown the stores alight as the evening's underway
Things been a little tight
But I know their gonna turn my way

And the girls in their summer clothes
In the cool of the evening light
The girls in their summer clothes, pass me by

Frankie's diner, an old friend on the edge of town
The neon sign spinning round
Like a cross over the lost and found
The fluorescent lights flick over Pop's Grill
Shaniqua brings the coffee and asks "Fill?" and says "Penny for your thoughts now my boy, Bill"

She went away, she cut me like a knife
Hello beautiful thing, maybe you could save my life
In just a glance, down here on magic street
Loves a fool's dance
And I ain't got much sense, but I still got my feet

The girls in their summer clothes
In the cool of the evening light
The girls in their summer clothes, pass me by

The girls in their summer clothes
In the cool of the evening light
The girls in their summer clothes, pass me by


Copyright © 2007 Bruce Springsteen (ASCAP)

Successful Trade with Max

In early January I received two 2008 Topps Lettermen football cards (very shiny and numbered to 25) by mistake in an eBay auction. When I say by mistake, I mean that the seller sent me the wrong cards. I was supposed to get a 2008 Donruss Threads Mike Schmidt card numbered 49/250. Instead I got the football cards. The seller immediately refunded my money and didn't want the cards back. So I posted them a few weeks ago and offered them in trade. Max made me an offer I liked so we made the trade. Max doesn't have a blog (as near as I can tell) but has been one of my readers. (thanks Max). So here's what he sent me:

2007 Bowman's Best Michael Bourn

Somehow I've never seen any 2007 Bowman's Best, in fact, wasn't even aware of the set. Bourn played one year for the Phillies before being traded to the Astros for Brad Lidge. Lidge went on to lead the Phillies to the World Series. Bourn, well, he didn't lead the Astros anywhere. But apparently he had a good season of winter ball and hope always springs eternal in the spring.

2002 Leaf Certified New Generations Mirror Red Rodrigo Rosario

Mirror Red is a parallel of the base set. Most of the base set of 2002 Leaf Certified was composed of relic cards. I'm happy to have this because I didn't have any of these. Rosario started 2 games for the Astros in 2003, winning 1. He's not been heard from again. Since this is a game-used jersey, it must have been worn during one of his two games, both which were in June 2003. So I probably know more about this jersey card than most. There is a picture of the actual jersey on the back of the card. The card is serial numbered 112/150.

2004 Topps Tribute Hall of Fame Relic Mike Schmidt

This is a way better card then the Schmitd I was supposed to get in the eBay deal.

Max also threw in a 2002 Bowman's Best Brad Lidge from his Astro days. This card didn't scan well so I didn't post it.

1996 Part 5

Leaf Limited

Another, in my opinion, uninspired offering from Donruss in 1996. Leaf Limited was first issued in 1993. This would be the last year. In 1997, Donruss offered Donruss Limited instead. I guess the set was "Limited" in that there were only 90 cards in the base set. The cards featured a foil background with gold foil printing. They were issued in 5-card packs for $3.24. Since I have 10 of these, I'm guessing that I bought 2 packs.

Leaf Limited Gold
As for most Donruss issues in the mid-1990s, there is the obligatory parallel set. Leaf Limited only had the Gold parallel. This actually is a more attractive card than the base card. I paid $3.95 for this Chipper Jones in August 2004. Beckett would have you believe this card is worth $9.00.

Leaf Limited Lumberjacks
Another offering from Donruss made of wood. This is a very attractive 10-card insert set, numbered to 5,000. I paid $7.84 for this in July 2004. Beckett lists it at $15. There is also a Black version of this set which I don't have. They have a black border. Beckett lists them as 4 times the regular card. 9 of the 10 cards are currently being offered on eBay at Buy-It-Now prices either close to or over the book value. The asking price for the A-Rod is $80. The Black cards are numbered to 450.

Leaf Limited Pennant Craze
Another 10-card insert set, this time numbered to 2,500. I swallowed hard and paid $11.99 for this in July 2004. Beckett listed it then for $40 which hasn't changed. Sellers are currently asking $30 to $53 on eBay. The card is die-cut along the upper edge of the pennant. The pennant is also flocked, so it feels fuzzy like a real pennant might.

Leaf Limited Rookies
I'm not sure where I got this. There were 10 cards in the set which included Derek Jeter. I'm not sure how Mike Grace got included in a "Limited" rookie set. There is also a Gold version which I don't have.

Leaf Preferred
This 150-card set had only this single issue. The cards are pretty boring. I paid $1.50 for this Ripken card in July 2005. I have several other cards from the set which I probably got in repacks. The base cards seem only to exist to provide padding for the steel card in every pack.

Leaf Preferred Staremaster
Not a bad looking card. This 12-card set was serial numbered to 2,500. I paid $5.50 for Chipper in July 2005. Beckett says its worth $12.

Leaf Preferred Steel
There was a steel card in every pack. These are pretty nice. They feature a rolled edge. They look better in person. I have two Phillies which I bought at a local card shop a few years ago. I'm not sure, but I think these are the first regular issued cards made of metal.

Leaf Preferred Steel Gold
The gold cards were inserted 1:24. I paid $6.16 for this in August 2004.